TH  E  LAST 

OF  THE 
ARAWAKS 


FREDERICK 
A.OBER 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


The  Last  of  the  Arawaks 


'ARTHUR  SPRANG  FORWARD.' 


The  Last  of  the  Arawaks 


A  Story  of  Adventure  on  the  Island 
of  San  Domingo 


BY 

FREDERICK    A.    OBER 

AUTHOR    OF    "CAMPS    IN    THE    CARIBBEES,"     ««  CRUSOE* S 


With  Illustrations  by  William   F.   Stecher 


BOSTON   AND   CHICAGO 

W.    A.    WILDE    COMPANY 

1901 


Copyright,  rgoi, 

BY  W.  A.  WILDE  COMPANY. 

All  rights  reserved. 

THE  LAST  OF  THE  ARAWAKS. 


*'-..* 


Preface. 


IN  selecting  the  island  of  Santo  Domingo  as  the 
scene  of  the  adventures  described  in  the  following 
pages,  the  writer  had  in  mind  many  things  besides 
the  adventures  and  the  adventurers  themselves.  He 
determined  to  locate  his  heroes  on  this  island,  which 
of  itself  was  intrinsically  interesting;  and  surely 
there  is  no  other  surpassing,  perhaps  even  equalling, 
in  importance  to  Americans  that  of  Santo  Domingo. 

Nearly  twenty-five  years  ago,  when  he  himself  was 
a  boy  in  years  and  perhaps  in  indiscretion,  the  writer 
went  to  the  West  Indies  in  search  of  birds  for  scien 
tific  purposes.  There  he  passed  two  of  the  happiest 
years  of  his  life  in  the  woods  and  mountain  wilds, 
and  that  his  time  was  not  actually  wasted,  the  dis 
covery  of  more  than  twenty  species  of  new  birds 
attests.  The  memory  of  those  years,  with  its  recol 
lection  of  strange  scenes,  its  suggestions  of  dense 
forests,  silver-sanded  beaches,  thick-set  jungles,  semi- 
savage  peoples,  and  ferocious  animals,  comes  to  him 
now  as  the  richest  experience  of  his  life.  Nearly 
a  quarter-century  has  slid  by  into  the  past  since 
this  eventful  chapter  in  his  life  was  opened  ;  but 
youth  is  perennial  if  one  can  but  keep  with  him  the 
memory  of  days  spent  close  to  Nature's  heart,  and 

5 

M314QG5 


6  Preface. 

in  the  adventures  of  the  two  boys  herewith  given  the 
writer  lives  over  again  the  days  that  are  gone. 

As  he  has  been  over  almost  every  acre  of  the 
ground  described,  has  followed  Columbus  from  his 
initial  landing-place  in  the  New  World  throughout 
his  devious  wanderings  in  this  hemisphere,  and  has 
voyaged  repeatedly  to  the  West  Indies,  first  as  a 
naturalist,  and  later  in  an  official  capacity  sent  by 
his  Government  in  search  of  historical  information 
to  be  utilized  at  the  great  Columbian  Exposition,  he 
knew  the  locale  of  their  happenings  thoroughly,  and 
when  their  crude  story  fell  into  his  hands  felt  that  he 
ought  to  be  able  to  shape  it  so  as  to  be  interesting. 

Whether  he  has  failed  or  not,  —  and  that  is  a  mat 
ter  to  be  decided  by  every  reader  personally,  —  he 
feels  constrained  to  add,  in  explanation  (but  not  in 
extenuation),  that  through  it  all  he  has  been  true  to 
his  ideals.  He  believes  that  mere  happenings  of 
themselves  are  in  a  measure  worthless  without  a  basis 
of  truth  and  history.  He  has  tried  to  interweave 
historical  facts  with  the  tale  of  adventure  so  closely 
that  his  readers  will  be  compelled  to  heed  them ;  to 
inculcate  something  of  value  which  may  remain  after 
the  story  is  read  and  thrown  aside. 


Contents. 


Chapter  Page 

I.  One  Hundred  to  One  .         .        .  .  ,  .11 

II.  Our  Consul  to  the  Rescue     .         .  .  .  .20 

III.  Diamond  cut  Diamond         .         .  .  .       29 

IV.  Turn  about  is  Fair  Play 38 

V.  How  the  Tables  were  Turned       .  .  .  47 

VI.  The  President  makes  a  Mistake    .  56 

VII.  How  a  Revolution  was  Averted    .  .  .  .       65 

VIII.  All  on  Account  of  «  Old  Glory  »  .  .  .  .74 

IX.  How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered  ...       83 

X.  After  Four  Hundred  Years  ...  .  .92 

XL  Through  a  Dead  Man's  Eyes        .  .  .  .     101 

XII.  Sailing  o'er  Historic  Waters         .  .  .  .     no 

XIII.  The  Spy  makes  an  Involuntary  Voyage  .  .     119 

XIV.  One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way          .  .  .  .128 
XV.  Stories  of  Ravenous  Sharks           .....     138 

XVI.  Up  the  River  of  Golden  Sands     .  .  .  .147 

XVII.  A  Poet  of  the  Sierras   .        .        .  .  .  .156 

XVIII.  The  Man  in  a  Mango  Tree  .         .  .  -  .165 

XIX.  A  Dominican  Country  Home        .  .  ^  -     I75 

XX.  Pledged  to  kill  the  Tyrant    .         .  .  .  .     185 

XXI.  Swords  of  the  Conquistadores      .  .  .  .194 

XXII.  A  Picnic  on  the  Royal  Plain         .  .  .  .203 

XXIII.  San  Cocho,  a  Feast  without  Forks  .  .  .212 

XXIV.  The  Poem  and  the  Little  Pigs      .  .  .  .221 

7 


8 


Contents. 


Chapter 

XXV.  What  happened  in  the  Night 

XXVI.  The  Mysterious  Prisoner 

XXVII.  An  Angel  Unawares 

XXVIII.  The  Vale  of  Paradise      . 

XXIX.  Contentment  without  Wealth 

XXX.  Caonabo  and  Ancient  Cipango 

XXXI.  A  Martyr  to  Science 

XXXII.  Native  Narcotics  and  Incense 

XXXIII.  Visions  of  Loveliness      . 

XXXIV.  Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower  . 
XXXV.  A  Royal  Road  to  Learning     . 

XXXVI.  The  Cacique's  Treasure  at  Last 

XXXVII.  The  Duel  Underground 

XXXVIII.  A  Treasure  held  in  Trust 


Page 
230 

239 
248 

257 
266 
275 
284 

293 
302 

311 
320 

329 
338 
347 


Illustrations. 


PAGE 


"  Arthur  sprang  forward ".                          .       Frontispiece  155 

"  '  Veil,  Missee  Consool,  vat  is  eet  you  vant  ? '  "         .         .  62 

"  A  lithe  body  was  drawn  out  of  the  porthole  "  .         .         .  125 

"  Arthur's  eyes  flashed  as  the  old  man  passed  one  of  the 

swords  to  him"           .         .         .         .         .         .         .  I0^ 

"Taking  the  tips   of  her  slender  ringers,   Arthur  raised 

them  to  his  lips  ".......  309 


The   Last  of  the  Arawaks. 


i. 

One  Hundred  to  One. 

AT  the  mouth  of  the  river  Ozama,  in  the  island 
of  Santo  Domingo,  stands  the  oldest  castle  in 
America. 

And  not  only  is  it  old,  but  it  has  a  most  romantic 
history ;  for  tradition  relates  that  it  was  built  by  none 
other  than  the  great  Christopher  Columbus,  first 
European  voyager  to  this  continent.  If  the  truth 
were  told,  however,  it  must  be  admitted  that,  while 
it  was  built  by  a  Columbus,  it  was  not  by  the  immor 
tal  Christopher,  but  by  his  second  son,  Don  Diego, 
at  one  time  viceroy  and  governor  of  Santo  Domingo. 

The  founding  of  this  quaint  old  city  which  bears 
the  same  name  as  the  island,  Santo  Domingo,  is 
attributed  to  another  Columbus,  Don  Bartholomew, 
who  was  known  as  the  Adelantado,  while  his  brother 
Christopher  was  given  the  grandiose  title  of  "  Admiral 
of  the  Ocean  Sea,"  by  Queen  Isabella  and  King  Fer 
dinand  of  Spain,  in  accordance  with  the  "  capitula- 

ii 


12  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

tion  "  entered  into  with  them  at  Granada,  1492.  The 
history  of  city  and  castle  are  most  intimately  related, 
for  the  latter  was  built  to  defend  the  former,  and  was 
its  citadel ;  but  not  until  after  Christopher  Columbus 
had  been  sent  back  to  Spain  in  chains,  accompanied 
by  his  great-hearted  brother,  the  Adelantado. 

The  first  settlement  in  Santo  Domingo, — the  island, 
—  and  consequently  the  first  made  by  Europeans  in 
America,  was  on  the  north  coast,  and  was  called  Isa 
bella,  in  honor  of  the  queen  of  Spain.  It  was  started 
by  Christopher  Columbus,  in  December,  1493,  just  a 
year  after  he  had  discovered  the  island  on  his  first 
voyage. 

The  present  memorials  of  Isabella  consist  merely 
of  a  few  hewn  stones,  earthen  tiles,  and  shards  of 
pottery,  scattered  over  the  ground  beneath  the  trees 
of  a  dense  forest;  for  it  was  found,  soon  after  the 
first  structures  were  erected  there,  that  the  site 
was  insalubrious  and  unfit  for  the  great  city  which 
Columbus  had  hoped  to  found  in  the  New  World.  A 
church  was  erected,  a  "king's  house,"  and  several 
pretentious  dwellings,  all  of  stone ;  but  to-day  nothing 
remains  of  that  first  city  built  by  Europeans  in  Amer 
ica,  except  some  fragments  of  stone  and  tiles,  as 
already  mentioned.  Three  years  after  the  first  house 
was  built,  the  "city"  was  already  falling  into  ruin, 
and  the  Spaniards  were  scouring  the  island  for  a 
better  site  for  their  commercial  capital.  This  site 
was  found  by  accident,  and  the  harbor  adjacent  proved 


One  Hundred  to  One.  13 

vastly  superior  to  that  of  Isabella,  which  was  selected 
by  design. 

One  of  the  dissatisfied  soldiers  strayed  away  from 
Isabella  —  deserted,  in  fact  —  and  found  refuge  with 
a  tribe  of  Indians  on  the  south  coast  of  the  island. 
He  fell  in  love  with  and  married  a  female  "  cacique," 
or  chief,  of  the  tribe,  and  for  a  while  lived  happily 
with  his  dusky  wife  and  new-found  friends,  the  sav 
ages.  But  after  a  while  the  life  palled  upon  him ;  he 
sighed  for  the  friends  he  had  left  behind,  and  grew 
sad  and  melancholy.  His  wife  noted  this  and  tried 
to  think  of  some  way  to  cheer  him  up.  She  had  no 
ticed  that  this  Spaniard,  like  all  his  companion  "  con- 
quistadores,"  had  a  raging  thirst  for  gold,  and  as  she 
knew  of  a  rich  mine  she  disclosed  to  him  its  location, 
in  the  hope  that  it  might  restore  his  spirits. 

And  it  did ;  but  the  very  first  thought  of  the  Span 
iard,  after  he  had  found  the  golden  storehouse,  was 
of  his  comrades  and  his  old  commander,  Don  Bar 
tholomew  Columbus.  As  a  deserter  he  was  liable 
to  punishment;  but  as  one  who  could  communicate 
tidings  of  rich  gold  deposits  he  would  probably  be 
exempt,  and  even  win  the  grateful  regard  of  his  com 
mander.  It  was  even  so.  After  the  soldier  had  re 
turned  to  Isabella  and  told  Don  Bartholomew  of  his 
discovery,  he  was  made  captain  of  a  company  and 
sent  out  for  further  exploitations.  Following  his  lead, 
Don  Bartholomew  crossed  the  island  and  found, 
not  alone  the  gold  mine,  but  —  what  was  of  greater 


14  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

consequence  —  a  fine  harbor  and  site  for  a  city.  He 
lost  no  time  in  removing  the  inhabitants  of  Isabella 
to  this  new  site  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Ozama,  and 
thus  the  city  of  Santo  Domingo  was  founded  in  1496. 

The  first  settlement  on  the  Ozama  was  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river,  where  a  chapel  was  built  —  the 
ruins  of  which  may  be  seen  at  this  day  —  and  a  small 
tower.  In  the  doorway  of  this  chapel,  by  the  way, 
the  arrogant  Bobadilla,  who  was  sent  out  to  supersede 
Columbus,  read  his  proclamation  of  authority  from 
the  king  of  Spain  ;  and  in  the  tower  both  Columbus 
and  Bartholomew  were  confined  as  prisoners  by  this 
same  Bobadilla,  ere  they  were  sent  home  to  Spain 
with  manacles  on  their  limbs.  The  acts  of  Don 
Bartholomew  were  sanctioned  by  his  brother  Chris 
topher,  and  it  is  possible  that  he  may  himself  have 
ordered  the  tower,  or  castle,  to  be  built.  But  it  was 
not  the  castle  that  still  stands,  and  to  which  allusion 
was  made  at  the  opening  of  this  chapter. 

In  or  about  the  year  1502,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
new  settlement  removed  to  the  right  bank  of  the 
Ozama,  and  there  began  the  city  which  exists  to-day, 
and  which  is  probably  the  oldest  on  this  continent. 

It  was  not  until  about  1 509  that  the  great  castle  or 
citadel  was  built,  during  the  viceroyalty  of  Don 
Diego  Columbus.  All  readers  of  history  know  that 
Christopher  Columbus  had  two  sons,  one  named  Fer 
nando,  and  the  other  Diego  —  the  English  of  which 
is  James.  While  Fernando  was  more  intellectual 


One  Hundred  to  One.  15 

than  Diego,  he  was  not  so  ambitious  in  a  worldly 
way.  He  wrote  an  admirable  life  of  his  father,  and 
a  history  of  his  doings  ;  but  Diego  married  a  great 
lady  of  King  Ferdinand's  court,  and  so  gained  favor 
for  his  house,  which  his  sovereign  would  not  other 
wise  have  granted. 

Perhaps  all  this  may  seem  to  have  little  to  do  with 
the  old  castle  of  which  mention  has  been  made ;  but 
it  has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  it.  For  if  Don  Diego 
Columbus  had  not  married  the  daughter  of  a  powerful 
Spanish  grandee,  he  would  not  have  been  in  position  to 
fight  for  the  family  fortune  and  titles,  of  which  King 
Ferdinand  had  virtually  deprived  his  father,  the  old 
admiral,  allowing  him  to  die  in  poverty  and  almost 
in  disgrace.  If  he  had  not  revived  the  family  titles, 
he  would  not  have  been  sent  out  to  the  West  Indies 
as  viceroy,  to  the  island  his  father  discovered  in 
1492 ;  and  if  he  had  not  gone  to  the  island,  he  could 
not  have  built  the  castle  in  the  year  1509.  That 
seems  plain  enough.  If  he  had  not  been  on  the 
island,  he  could  not  have  erected  a  castle  there ;  and 
if  he  had  not  been  a  viceroy,  with  almost  unlimited 
power,  he  would  have  had  neither  authority  nor 
money  to  build  it  with,  as  stated. 

Don  Diego  Columbus,  then,  had  married  the 
beautiful  and  amiable  lady  of  Isabella  and  Ferdi 
nand's  court,  Maria  de  Toledo ;  and  the  king,  wishing 
to  show  him  some  signal  honor,  —  and  at  the  same 
time  get  rid  of  him,  —  sent  him  off  as  a  viceroy  to  the 


1 6  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks.   - 

island  of  Hispaniola,  as  Santo  Domingo  was  at  that 
time  called.  There  he  set  up  his  little  court,  and  for 
a  while  was  in  effect  the  king  of  the  West  Indies, 
with  several  millions  of  Indians  and  a  few  thousand 
Spaniards  as  subjects ;  the  former,  in  fact,  more 
slaves  than  anything  else.  All  this  may  be  verified 
by  reference  to  Washington  Irving's  "  Life  of  Colum 
bus,"  in  which  the  occurrences  of  the  times  in  which 
these  great  personages  lived  are  set  forth  at  length, 
and  with  a  charm  of  style  peculiar  to  that  gifted 
author. 

Don  Diego  and  his  wife,  the  vice-reine,  made  quite 
a  stir  on  their  arrival,  according  to  the  historians, 
and  quite  turned  the  island  topsy-turvy  before  they 
left  it  for  good  and  all.  Don  Diego  established  the 
first  viceregal  court  in  the  West  Indies  —  in  the  New 
World,  in  fact  —  and  "  set  the  pace  "  for  all  who  were 
to  follow  after.  He  also  built  himself  a  palace  close 
by  the  Ozama's  bank,  the  ruins  of  which  are  still  to 
be  seen,  and  which  at  that  time  was  the  grandest 
structure  ever  erected  by  any  European  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  It  was  of  stone,  with  an  overlook  of 
the  river  and  sea,  and  so  solidly  constructed,  with 
such  thick  walls  and  strong,  wide  battlements,  that 
Don  Diego's  enemies  —  and  their  name  was  legion 
—  soon  sent  word  to  the  king  that  in  all  probability 
his  viceroy  intended  to  cast  off  his  allegiance  and  set 
up  a  little  kingdom  of  his  own.  They  particularly 
warned  King  Ferdinand  of  his  possibly  evil  inten- 


One  Hundred  to  One.  17 

tions  when  he  built  the  great  castle,  which  is  now 
called  the  "  Homenage,"  and  drew  dismal  pictures 
of  what  the  West  Indies  would  become  if  sent  adrift 
from  the  paternal  tutelage  of  the  king  of  Spain. 
They  would  doubtless  have  been  much  better  off, 
especially  the  Indian  dwellers  in  them,  who  were 
robbed  and  murdered  without  let  or  hindrance. 

But  Don  Diego  had  no  such  intentions  as  were 
ascribed  to  him,  for  he  was  loyal  to  the  core,  and 
being  gifted  with  common  sense,  he  had  no  idea 
whatever  of  declaring  himself  king  of  America. 
Not  even  after  he  had  sent  out  an  expedition,  which 
made  settlements  in  Cuba  a  few  years  later,  had  he 
any  thought  of  severing  his  allegiance.  So  that 
statement  may  be  passed  over  as  a  malicious  fabrica 
tion  of  his  enemies,  who  wanted  him  discredited, 
mainly  because  he  was  inclined  to  put  a  check  upon 
their  barbarous  treatment  of  the  Indian. 

But  that  is  another  story  all  by  itself.  This  par 
ticular  tale  has  to  do  with  the  old  castle,  primarily, 
because  at  the  moment  it  opens  there  were  confined 
in  it  two  boys — heroes  of  the  story — who  started 
out  to  find  gold  in  Santo  Domingo,  and  came  to 
grief  through  a  series  of  circumstances  which  will 
be  explained  later  on. 

It  was  while  these  boys  were  immured  in  the  old 
castle  that  Don  Diego  built,  that  the  United  States 
Consul  to  Santo  Domingo,  Mr.  Henry  Garland,  as 
cended  the  tortuous  stairway,  half  inside  and  half 


1 8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

outside  the  tower,  to  a  point  of  vantage  on  its  battle 
ments  whence  he  could  look  down  upon  the  glorious 
view  outspread  on  every  side. 

As  some  very  important  business  had  gone  wrong 
that  day,  the  Consul  was  perhaps  more  absorbed  in  his 
own  thoughts  than  in  the  view  he  was  looking  down 
upon.  For  half  an  hour  or  so  he  stood  idly  in  one 
position,  paying  little  heed  to  what  was  going  on 
about  him.  There  was,  in  fact,  very  little  going  on 
about  him,  except  the  swifts  and  swallows  that  were 
cleaving  the  air  in  their  hunt  for  insects,  but  directly 
beneath  him  there  was  much  indeed  of  human 
interest. 

A  great  noise  suddenly  came  up  from  below,  and 
caused  him  to  start  from  his  revery  with  a  gasp  of 
astonishment  and  indignation.  For,  the  very  instant 
that  he  perceived  he  was  looking  directly  into  the 
prison  pen  attached  to  the  castle,  —  a  point  which  in 
his  preoccupation  he  had  not  noticed,  —  he  saw  that 
there  was  a  great  commotion  amongst  the  prisoners 
within  the  high  wall  which  fenced  them  off  from  the 
sea.  The  enclosure  was  not  large,  and  being  open, 
he  could  look  all  over  it,  but  within  it  were  at  least 
a  hundred  men.  Ninety-eight  of  this  hundred  —  or 
all  but  two  —  were  either  black  or  colored,  and  it 
really  seemed  as  if  all  that  big  rabble  of  villains  was 
attacking  the  two. 

The  dusky  brutes  hurled  themselves  upon  those 
two  with  white  complexions  as  if  they  had  been  a 


One  Hundred  to  One.  19 

football  crowd  and  were  determined  to  flatten  them 
to  the  earth.  And  they  did,  for  the  pair,  though 
they  stood  back  to  back  and  fought  the  blacks  off  most 
valiantly,  were  evidently  overborne  and  crushed  to 
earth  like  a  couple  of  pancakes.  They  became  lost 
in  the  melee  as  the  black  sea  rolled  over  them,  and  it 
was  at  this  juncture  that  the  Consul  happened  to  have 
his  attention  called  to  the  spectacle. 

"The  scoundrels!"  he  exclaimed  to  himself,  "to 
pitch  upon  two  inoffensive  boys  like  that ! "  Then 
he  raised  his  voice  to  some  purpose,  —  for,  let  it  be 
observed,  he  was  only  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  above  the  pen,  —  and  shouted  to  the  blacks  : 
"  Come  off,  you  villains ;  leave  those  men  alone,  or 
I'll  have  you  shot,  every  one  of  you  !  Do  you  hear 
me  ?  I  am  the  American  Consul !  " 


II. 

Our  Consul  to  the  Rescue. 

IF  you  had  seen  that  writhing  mass  of  half-naked 
beings,  knotted  together  like  so  many  black  ser 
pents,  every  face  that  was  visible  distorted  with  rage 
or  hate,  you  would  not  have  thought  the  Consul's 
threat  would  have  had  any  effect  whatever  upon 
wretches  already  so  miserable  that  many  of  them 
would  have  welcomed  death  by  shooting  as  a  relief 
from  their  troubles.  And,  truth  to  tell,  it  was  not 
the  threat  that  reached  them  and  made  the  mass 
uncoil  and  separate  into  its  individual  elements.  For 
threats  these  poor  wretches  cared  nothing,  as  seven- 
tenths  of  them  knew  that  death  was  their  portion, 
sooner  or  later,  and  the  only  friend  that  awaited 
them  at  the  end  of  their  imprisonment.  But  most 
of  them  knew  the  Consul  as  a  powerful  friend  in 
their  behalf  on  many  previous  occasions,  as  one 
who  had  stoutly  stood  between  them  and,  perhaps, 
a  worse  fate  than  imprisonment,  —  for  hope  is  always 
present  in  the  breast  of  the  prisoner,  —  and  they 
obeyed  him  instantly.  The  few  who  were  unaware 
of  the  Consul's  personality  and  power  went  sullenly, 

20 


Our  Consul  to  the  Rescue.  11 

and  only  after  giving  vicious  kicks  at  the  prostrate 
and  now  motionless  forms. 

"  Keep  away  from  them  until  I  get  down.  Re 
member,  now !  "  With  which  warning,  his  menacing 
tone  conveying  a  threat  more  than  his  words,  the 
Consul  leaped  down  the  stone  steps  three  at  a  time, 
and  was  soon  pounding  at  the  outer  door  of  the  castle. 
The  tower  was  semi-detached,  it  should  be  explained, 
and  had  a  separate  entrance  from  the  castle  proper, 
in  which  the  prisoners  were  immured.  His  sturdy 
blows  soon  brought  a  black  face  to  the  grated  win 
dow  in  the  massive  door,  and  a  surly  voice  inquired 
in  Spanish  what  he  wanted. 

"  I  want  you  to  admit  me  at  once,"  replied  the 
Consul.  "  Those  white  prisoners  of  yours  have  been 
set  upon  by  a  crowd  and  perhaps  murdered.  You 
must  have  seen  it  all." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  saw  it  all,  and  a  fine  fight  it  was,  too." 

"  A  fine  fight !  You  miserable  coward  !  And  you 
stood  by  and  let  those  boys  be  murdered  ?  Wait  till 
I  get  a  report  to  the  President !  " 

The  black  face  grinned,  showing  a  double  row 
of  teeth  like  lion's  fangs.  "  El  Presidente  !  Oho  ! 
Senor  Consul.  Do  you  know  who  sent  those  Ameri 
canos  here  ?  El  Presidente  mismo  —  the  President 
himself ! " 

"What?  President  Heureaux  sent  them  here? 
What  for?" 

"Who  knows?     But  he  sent  them,  and  he  doesn't 


22  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

care  how  soon  they  are  thrown  over  the  wall  and  into 
the  sea  for  the  sharks  to  eat.  But  what  do  I  say  ? 
Senor  Consul,  do  not  tell  Lelee  of  this." 

The  Consul  saw  that  nothing  was  to  be  gained  by 
threats  with  this  man,  and  he  knew  that  time  was 
precious,  so  he  swallowed  his  wrath  and  tried  another 
way. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said.  "  I  must  get  at  those  boys 
right  away.  They  may  be  dead,  and  if  they  are,  you 
shall  suffer  for  it.  But  if  they  are  not,  and  can  be 
revived,  you  shall  be  rewarded.  Now,  how  much 
salary  do  you  get  ?  Tell  me  quickly." 

"  Ho,  that  is  soon  told.  I  don't  get  anything. 
Promises?  Yes,  but  plata  —  silver  —  it  is  months 
since  I  have  seen  any." 

"  I  thought  so.  Now,  if  you  will  admit  me,  I  will 
give  you  ten  dollars  in  gold.  But  you  must  assist 
me ;  give  me  a  room  where  I  can  have  those  young 
men  cared  for.  Understand  ?  " 

"  Si,  Senor  Consul,  I  understand.  There,  the  door 
is  open,"  said  the  jailer,  drawing  the  great  rusty 
bolts  and  bars.  "  Enter,  Sefior  Consul.  If  Lelee 
knows  this,  it  will  cost  me  my  position,  perhaps  my 
life  ;  but  ten  dollars !  Did  you  say  ten  dollars,  Sefior 
Consul  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  said  ten  dollars,  and  here  are  five  of  them. 
Now  look  sharp.  Lead  me  into  the  pen  at  once !  " 

"  Wait,  Senor  Consul,  till  I  have  bolted  the  door, 
and  wait  till  I  have  counted  these  dollars.  My  faith, 


Our  Consul  to  the  Rescue.  23 

I  haven't  seen  so  much  money  since  I  was  made 
jailer  here ;  for,  mind  you,  Lelee  takes  good  care  the 
prisoners  have  nothing  when  they  arrive." 

"  Well.  Will  you  never  get  through  counting  that 
money  ?  Come,  open  this  inner  door.  What  are  you 
about  ? " 

"  Pardon,  Senor  Consul,  but  the  music  of  these 
dollars  is  so  sweet.  Hear  them  clink  in  my  pocket. 
Wait  till  I  count  them  again." 

"  You  fool !  I've  a  mind  to  throttle  you,  here  and 
now.  Get  along  with  you.  Unlock  that  door,  I  say  !  " 

"Si,  si, — yes,  yes.  There,  look,  your  country 
men  are  there.  See,  they  have  not  moved." 

"  No,  they  have  not  moved,"  answered  the  Consul, 
turning  upon  the  jailer  so  fiercely  that  he  crouched 
as  if  in  fear  with  outstretched  hands.  "  And  if  they 
are  dead,  remember,  I  will  make  you  suffer  for  this. 
And  you,  too,  cowardly  rascals  that  you  are,"  facing 
the  crowd  of  blacks  huddled  in  a  corner.  "  Do  you 
know  what  you  have  done  ?  You  have  assaulted  free- 
born  Americans.  You  have  insulted  my  country  as 
well  as  injured  these  men,  perhaps  have  killed  them ; 
and  do  you  think  that  I,  as  representative  of  the  most 
powerful  government  on  earth,  will  allow  this  to  pass? 
No  !  Not  if  I  have  to  raze  this  city  to  the  ground  ! 
To  think  of  such  wretches  as  you  and  your  rulers 
flying  in  the  face  of  the  American  eagle !  Pah ! 
Come  here,  jailer,  help  me  raise  these  men  and  carry 
them  in  out  of  the  sun." 


24  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Others  would  have  assisted,  but  the  Consul  waved 
them  back.  He  stooped  over  and  tenderly  drew  one 
of  the  boys  out  of  the  mud  and  filth  into  which  they 
had  been  stamped  by  the  bare  feet  of  their  brutal 
opponents.  With  the  jailer's  assistance  he  bore  him 
into  the  latter' s  private  room,  and  then  went  back 
for  the  other.  Both  were  laid  out  on  the  floor,  the 
jailer's  cot  being  too  narrow  for  more  than  one,  and 
the  Consul  proceeded  to  ascertain  their  real  condi 
tion.  Washing  the  blood  and  dirt  from  their  faces, 
and  the  clotted  gore  from  their  hair,  he  found  that 
though  cruelly  mangled  they  were  yet  alive. 

One  of  them  finally  gasped  and  choked,  as  though 
his  throat  was  full  of  blood,  and  the  other  breathed 
as  if  internally  injured ;  still,  it  was  something,  their 
good  Samaritan  thought,  that  they  lived.  He  hap 
pened  to  have  in  his  pocket  a  powerful  restorative, 
and  a  few  drops  between  the  lips  of  each  revived 
them  so  that  they  opened  their  eyes  almost  simulta 
neously.  Seeing  a  white  face  over  them,  in  place  of 
the  black  countenances  which  had  met  them  on  every 
hand  for  weeks,  they  seemed  relieved  and  gathered 
courage. 

In  response  to  the  questioning  look  in  their 
eyes  the  Consul  said  :  "  Cheer  up  my  friends,  you 
are  in  good  hands.  I'll  have  you  out  of  this  filthy 
place  very  soon.  You  are  Americans,  are  you 
not?" 

They  nodded  yes,  and  one  of  them  said  in  a  feeble 


Our  Consul  to  the  Rescue.  25 

voice :  "  We  are  brothers,  and  we  don't  know  why  we 
are  imprisoned.  We  have  done  nothing  to  break 
the  laws,  but  they  seem  to  want  to  kill  us." 

"  Well,  they  shan't.  I  am  the  American  Consul, 
and  as  sure  as  there  is  justice,  I  will  get  redress  from 
this  government  for  you.  I  cannot  get  you  out  of 
prison  to-day,  I  fear,  for  as  you  were  incarcerated  by 
a  so-called  process  of  law,  the  jailer  cannot  release 
you  without  an  order  from  the  judge  or  President. 
But  how  do  you  feel?  Any  bones  broken?" 

"  I  think  not,"  murmured  the  elder  of  the  two,  a 
boy  of  about  eighteen.  "How  are  you,  brother?" 
He  turned  on  his  side  with  difficulty  and  placed  an 
arm  around  the  younger  boy.  "  Oh,  tell  me  you  are 
not  hurt,  Hart,  dear.  Not  badly  hurt !  " 

"  I  guess  I'm  all  right,"  replied  the  other  cheerily, 
but  in  a  very  weak  voice.  "  The  blood  chokes  me  so, 
I  can't  speak  very  well." 

The  elder  looked  at  the  Consul  appealingly,  and  the 
latter  said :  "  Keep  a  good  heart,  I  will  go  now  for  a 
doctor.  Here,  jailer,  fetch  some  clean  straw  for  these 
boys  to  lie  on.  And  while  I  am  gone,  have  an  eye  to 
them,  will  you  ?  " 

"Assuredly,  Senor  Consul.  And  you  will  bring 
the  money  with  you ;  no  ?  The  other  five  dollars, 
you  know." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I'll  have  the  money  for  you,  but  I'll 
have  something  else  you  don't  like  so  well,  if  you 
neglect  my  friends.  Understand?" 


26  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  Perfectly,  Sefior  Consul.  You  may  do  with  me 
what  you  will,  only  bring  me  the  pesos.  Adios,  I 
will  guard  them  till  you  come  back." 

"Good-by,  my  boys,"  said  the  Consul,  pressing  a 
hand  of  each.  "  I  will  have  a  nurse  and  a  doctor  here 
within  an  hour,  and  till  then  rest  quietly  as  you  can. 
Do  not  mind  if  I  don't  make  an  appearance  again 
to-day,  as  I  shall  have  to  visit  the  palace  about  your 
release.  I  know  the  President's  disposition  and  how 
to  manage  him  ;  and  if,  as  the  jailer  says,  he  has  had 
you  confined  here  for  reasons  of  his  own,  hardly  any 
thing  short  of  an  earthquake  will  move  him.  Still, 
as  a  last  resort,  I  shall  have  one  unanswerable  argu 
ment  for  him,  and  he  may  thank  his  stars  if  this  castle 
doesn't  come  tumbling  down  about  his  ears.  Yes, 
you  rascal,"  turning  to  the  gaping  jailer,  who  had 
heard  this  last  statement  with  open  mouth,  "if  any 
thing  further  happens  to  these  lads,  down  comes 
your  house.  Salt/?" 

"Si,  sefior,"  answered  the  black  with  alacrity,  "I 
hear  you.  But,  Sefior  Consul,  can  you  command  the 
thunder  and  the  lightning?" 

"A  pretty  good  imitation,  if  not  the  genuine 
article,"  replied  the  Consul,  laughing.  "At  any  rate, 
I  can  give  this  government  a  scare,  and  don't  forget 
I  said  so.  Good-by,  boys  ;  keep  up  your  courage." 

It  was  not  far  to  the  consulate,  only  a  matter  of 
ten  minutes'  walk,  and  soon  the  Consul  entered  a 
fine  old  building  two  stories  in  height,  over  the  door- 


Our  Consul  to  the  Rescue.  27 

way  of  which  was  a  shield  on  which  was  painted  the 
American  eagle  grasping  the  traditional  arrows. 

"You're  a  brave  old  bird,"  said  the  Consul,  address 
ing  the  eagle  as  he  went  in,  "  but  now  and  then  some 
miserable  government  like  this  pulls  out  a  few  of  your 
tail  feathers,  so  to  speak.  But  it  doesn't  do  it  twice ; 
and  when  we  get  through  with  it  there  will  be  a  little 
more  knowledge  in  this  so-called  republic  about  inter 
national  comity,  even  if  we  have  to  drive  it  in  with 
powder  and  ball." 

The  Consul's  clerk,  a  native  of  the  island,  whom 
the  Consul  more  than  suspected  of  being  in  the 
President's  secret  service  and  pay,  sat  writing  at  a 
desk. 

"  Good  morning,  Pedro.  Has  any  one  been  here 
to  see  me  ? " 

"  No,  senor;  only  those  shipwrecked  sailors  who  say 
they  expect  you  to  send  them  home  by  the  next 
steamer." 

"  Oh,  bother  the  sailors  !  They  pester  the  life  out 
of  me.  How  do  they  expect  to  go  home,  first  class 
and  with  every  luxury  ?  No,  Pedro ;  they  are  able- 
bodied  seamen,  and  they  shall  go  before  the  mast, 
or  else  stay  here  forever,  for  all  me,  and  you  tell 
them  so  next  time  they  'heave  in  sight.'  By  the 
way,  do  you  know  if  the  President  is  at  the  palace 
to-day?  I  want  to  call  on  him." 

"  I  think  so,  sir.  But  what  is  it  to  see  him  about  ? 
Anything  I  can  do  ?  Pardon,  sir,  there  seems  to  be 


28  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

a  blood  spot  on  your  cuff.  I  trust  nothing  serious 
has  happened.''  And  the  clerk  looked  suspicious. 

"  Not  at  all.  Perhaps  I  scratched  myself  some 
how.  Call  Sam  and  send  him  to  the  palace  at  once, 
while  I  am  dressing,  with  my  compliments  and  a 
request  for  an  interview  with  his  Excellency  in  an 
hour.  And  just  step  around  the  corner  and  ask 
Dr.  Fernandez  to  call  at  once.  When  he  comes, 
send  him  right  up  to  my  room." 

While  the  clerk  and  the  office  boy  were  out  on 
their  errands,  the  Consul  had  his  housekeeper  make 
up  a  package  of  jellies  and  dainties  good  for  invalids, 
which  were  all  ready  when  the  doctor  came.  After 
the  customary  greetings,  he  told  him  about  the  two 
prisoners  at  the  castle,  and  asked  if  he  wouldn't  go 
over  and  do  what  he  could  for  them.  To  his  great 
surprise,  the  doctor  at  first  hesitated ;  but  when  as 
sured  that  the  boys  might  die  if  not  soon  attended 
to,  he  finally  consented.  But  as  he  took  his  leave,  he 
said :  "  You  know,  Consul,  this  act  will  not  only 
jeopardize  my  practice,  but  perhaps  put  my  life  in 
danger.  However,  I  go,  trusting  to  you  to  see  me 
through." 

"  I  will,  never  fear,"  declared  the  Consul,  heartily. 
"  I'll  protect  you." 


III. 

Diamond  cut  Diamond. 

THE  government  palace  was  a  pretentious  build 
ing  not  far  from  the  old  cathedral,  which  latter 
had  withstood  the  storms  of  more  than  three  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years.  It  —  the  palace  —  was  long  and 
rambling,  with  a  'wide  doorway  opening  into  an  en 
closed  court  around  which  were  the  offices  of  the 
governmental  clerks  and  their  employees. 

A  black  sentry  stood  guard  at  the  door  with  a 
loaded  musket,  which  he  brought  to  present-arms  as 
the  Consul  made  his  appearance  and  alighted  from 
his  carriage.  He  offered  no  objection  to  his  enter 
ing,  and  the  visitor  crossed  the  court  and  ascended 
the  stairway  to  the  upper  floor,  where  were  the  coun 
cil  chambers  and  the  President's  private  reception 
room.  Another  sentry  was  on  guard  here,  but  he, 
too,  knowing  that  the  visitor  was  a  high  official,  only 
followed  the  example  of  his  comrade  on  duty  below 
and  allowed  him  to  enter  unchallenged.  Once  inside, 
a  colored  servitor  took  his  card  to  an  inner  room, 
and  soon  the  Consul  found  himself  in  the  presence 
of  President  Ulises  Heureaux,  Executive  of  the  gov 
ernment  and  despot  of  Santo  Domingo. 

29 


jo  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

As  this  gentleman  not  long  ago  had  a  real  exist 
ence  and  is  by  no  means  a  fictitious  character,  it 
behooves  us  to  take  a  good  look  at  him  before  we 
proceed  further,  and  make  his  acquaintance  while  the 
opportunity  presents. 

He  was  a  man  of  middle  size,  brown  as  to  com 
plexion  and  well  knit  as  to  frame,  with  close-cropped, 
curly  black  hair,  and  a  stern  countenance.  If  we 
had  met  him  on  the  street  we  should  have  been 
attracted  by  his  personality,  there  was  so  much  of 
authority  in  his  carriage  and  of  absolute  power  in  his 
face.  His  nose  was  large  and  flat,  his  cheek  bones 
prominent,  and  his  lips  coarse  and  sensuous ;  but  his 
eyes  flashed  determination,  and  sometimes,  more  than 
that,  —  they  glowed  and  glowered  like  a  tiger's,  bod 
ing  disaster  or  death  to  any  who  might  be  brave 
enough  or  rash  enough  to  oppose  him. 

Little  of  his  history  is  known,  except  that  he  was 
born  in  one  of  the  English  islands  of  the  West  Indies, 
that  he  came  to  Santo  Domingo  as  an  adventurer  in 
search  of  fortune,  and  joining  the  insurgents  of  that 
time  (for  the  island  was  always  in  the  throes  of  some 
revolution  or  other),  somehow  leaped  to  power,  and 
once  having  grasped  the  reins  of  government  never 
once  let  them  go.  He  had  held  those  reins,  at  the 
time  we  make  his  acquaintance,  for  many  years, 
and  the  island  had  groaned  long  and  vainly  under  his 
oppressions.  He  had  imprisoned  men  and  women 
at  his  pleasure,  sent  their  sons  and  brothers  to  the 


Diamond  cut  Diamond.  31 

wars,  their  sisters  and  daughters  to  hopeless  slavery 
of  the  worst  sort,  and  had  filled  the  jails  with  his 
victims,  rarely  releasing  them  unless  to  have  them 
shot  or  hanged. 

Our  Consul  well  knew  that  he  had  some  reason 
sufficient  to  himself  for  imprisoning  our  young  coun 
trymen,  and  he  also  knew  that  he  would  not  have  had 
the  knowledge  of  that  fact  get  to  his  ears  for  any 
amount  of  money.  For  if  there  was  one  thing  the 
despotic  President  feared,  it  was  the  government  of 
the  United  States ;  and  as  the  representative  of  that 
government,  the  Consul  was  respected,  even  held  in 
awe. 

Our  government  had  never  as  yet  exerted  any  of 
its  power  in  actually  opposing  the  President,  but  he 
was  well  aware  that  it  stood  for  everything  he 
ignored :  for  the  honor  he  daily  violated,  for  the 
sacredness  of  human  life  which  he  held  so  cheaply ; 
and  it  was  as  a  moral  as  well  as  material  force  that 
he  feared  it.  This  point  our  Consul  knew  was  in 
his  favor  at  the  opening  of  negotiations,  and  he  re 
solved  to  make  the  most  of  it  in  behalf  of  our  friends, 
as  he  was  certain  the  President  would  not  give  them 
up  without  a  desperate  struggle. 

It  was  to  be  a  battle  royal,  —  that  he  knew.  But 
he  never  once  admitted  to  himself  that  it  would 
result  in  anything  but  victory.  What  is  that  about 
having  our  cause  just  at  the  outset  ?  You  remember, 
probably.  The  battle  is  more  than  half  won,  with 


32  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

honor  and  justice  on  our  side.  In  the  end  these 
twain  will  always  triumph. 

So  thought  the  Consul,  so  he  knew ;  but  though 
convinced  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  his  cause,  he 
reasoned  that  in  this  particular  case  justice  must  be 
speedy  or  it  would  come  too  late.  As  he  thought  of 
those  two  maltreated  countrymen  of  his,  and  ours, 
lying  bruised  and  bleeding  in  the  castle,  he  burned 
with  suppressed  indignation ;  but  at  the  same  time 
he  knew  that  for  their  sakes  he  must  be  outwardly 
calm  and  collected. 

"Ah,  buenos  dias,  Senor  Consool.  What  ees  eet 
I  do  for  you  this  day  ? " 

So  spake  the  great  man  in  most  affable  tones, 
shaking  the  Consul's  hand  heartily  and  leading  him 
to  a  seat. 

"Good  morning,  your  Excellency.  I  have  called 
about  a  small  matter  which  I  have  no  doubt  will 
soon  be  put  right.  I  have  learned  that  there  are 
two  Americans  imprisoned  in  the  Homenage  Castle, 
and  would  like  an  order  for  their  release." 

That  was  a  blunt,  perhaps  undiplomatic  way  of 
broaching  the  subject ;  but  the  Consul  knew  with 
whom  he  had  to  deal,  and  he  knew  there  was  nothing 
to  be  gained  by  "  beating  about  the  bush."  Either  the 
President  would  deny  all  knowledge  of  the  prisoners, 
or  he  would  admit  the  possibility  of  their  being  there, 
but  shift  the  responsibility  for  their  arrest  and  incar 
ceration  upon  some  subordinate.  He  did  both,  for 


Diamond  cut  Diamond.  33 

after  lifting  his  eyebrows  incredulously  and  spreading 
out  his  hands,  as  though  this  was  the  very  first  inti 
mation  he  had  received  of  their  existence,  he  said  :  — 

"  What  you  say,  Missee  Consool  ?  Two  Ameri 
canos  in  ze  Homenage  ?  Two  countreemen  of  you, 
eh  ?  I  sink  perhap  you  mistaken  ;  no  ?  " 

The  President  could  speak  French  as  well  as  Span 
ish,  the  latter  being  the  language  universally  spoken 
in  Santo  Domingo ;  but  he  also  thought  he  could 
speak  English,  and  in  his  intercourse  with  America's 
representative,  did  so  in  order  to  exhibit  his  accom 
plishment. 

"  No,  your  Excellency,  I  am  not  mistaken ;  for  I 
have  seen  them  myself,  and  they  have  been  most 
brutally  treated  by  the  other  prisoners,  so  that  I  wish 
to  get  them  out  and  over  to  the  consulate,  where  they 
can  receive  proper  attention.  But  I  felt  sure  you 
did  not  know  of  their  imprisonment,  and  since  that 
is  so,  and  as  I  will  give  bonds  for  their  good  behavior 
and  appearance  at  court  if  they  are  to  be  tried,  I 
simply  ask  their  release,  as  a  favor  to  me  and  to  my 
government." 

"  Oh,  ah,  you  ask  for  they  release,  eh  ?  And  dose 
you  gobernment  know  of  dis  ?  Ees  it  in  ze  name  of 
Onkel  Sam  you  ask  zis  favor,  or  as  one  favor  to  your 
self?" 

"  Well,  at  this  moment  I  am  asking  it  for  myself." 

"So?  Vel  zen,  suppose  I  say  I  do  not  grant 
eet,  eh?" 


34  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

The  President's  beady  black  eyes  twinkled  fero 
ciously,  and  he  clutched  his  left  arm  with  his 
right  hand,  while  his  lips  curled  in  a  malicious 
grin.  Those  who  knew  "Lelee,"  as  they  called  him, 
—  this  being  a  contraction  of  his  name,  Ulises, — 
said  that  whenever  he  clutched  that  left  arm  there 
was  trouble  ahead  for  his  opponent,  for  it  was  an  old 
trick  of  his  and  they  knew  it  well.  That  same  arm 
had  been  shattered  by  a  bullet,  was  withered  and 
almost  helpless,  and  he  nursed  it  like  a  baby.  But 
when  he  sniffed  a  battle,  or  was  bent  on  taking  life, 
he  seized  it  as  though  it  were  his  enemy's  throat  and 
he  would  strangle  the  life  out  of  it  at  once. 

The  Consul  knew  the  symptoms,  but  was  not 
deterred  either  by  the  unfailing  sign  that  Lelee  had 
raised  the  black  flag  with  "  no  quarter  "  on  it,  or  by 
the  steely  glitter  in  his  eyes. 

"Do  you  mean  to  say,  Mr.  President,  that  you 
would  defy  my  government,  allow  your  people  to 
insult  its  citizens  and  my  flag?" 

The  President  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  threw 
out  his  hands.  "  Oh,  as  to  dat,  Missee  Consool,  eef 
you  gobernment  take  sooch  interest  in  two  worseless 
boys  zat  have  commit  crime  in  my  island,  why,  I  haf 
nozing  more  to  say.  Only,  eef  zey  are  in  ze  jail,  eet 
is  for  soofeecient  raison,  and  you  must  give  me  some 
more  raison  zat  you  haf  not  done  alraidy,  before  I  let 
zem  out." 

"  My  government,  Mr.  President,  takes  an  interest 


Diamond  cut  Diamond.  3$ 

in  every  man,  woman,  or  child  born  under  its  flag 
and  entitled  to  its  protection.  If  you  have  not  found 
that  out,  then  you  have  not  violated  the  law  hereto 
fore  ;  or  the  office  I  now  hold  was  filled  by  some  man 
unworthy  the  name  of  American !  The  time  has 
passed  when  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  was 
ashamed  of  the  country  he  was  born  in,  and  the  time 
has  come  when  no  nation,  however  strong,  can  lay 
its  hands  upon  such  an  American  and  not  rue  the 
day  it  did  it !  Mark  these  words  ! 

"  And  again,  these  two  boys  for  whom  I  am  inter 
ceding  have  committed  no  crime.  But  if  they  have 
committed  a  crime,  according  to  your  view  of  it, 
they  shall  come  out  of  that  prison  just  the  same, 
for  you  have  my  word  of  honor  that  they  shall  be 
held  subject  to  the  law." 

The  President's  eyes  flashed,  and  he  said  with  a 
sneer :  "  Ah,  so  ?  You  take  great  interest  in  zose 
boys  zat  commit  crime  in  my  island.  But  zey  have 
done  somezings  I  cannot  forgeeve ;  for  exampF,  zey 
haf  murder  tree  of  my  best  soldier,  zey  haf  keel  two 
girl  zat  geev  no  offence  to  zem,  zey  haf  prowl  about 
ze  countree  robbing  and  keeling.  Eet  is  for  zat  I 
haf  put  zem  in  ze  castle,  un'stand  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  understand  that  you  said  a  few  mo 
ments  ago  you  had  no  knowledge  of  them  at  all, 
and  now  you  enumerate  their  hypothetical  crimes. 
Crimes  which,  if  you  were  as  honest  as  they  are,  you 
could  not  bring  yourself  to  admit  for  a  moment  they 


36  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

could  commit.  But  enough.  You  have  admitted  they 
were  sent  to  the  castle  by  your  orders.  I  have  fixed 
the  responsibility  for  this  act,  and  now  that  it  is 
brought  home  to  the  head  of  this  government  — 
namely,  yourself  —  I  shall  know  where  to  seek  re 
dress  !  Once  for  all,  I  ask  you  :  Will  you  issue  an 
order  for  the  release  of  those  boys,  or  will  you  force 
me  to  proceed  to  extremities  ? " 

The  President  saw  too  late  his  mistake  in  admitting 
any  knowledge  of  the  prisoners,  and  bit  his  lips  till 
the  blood  came.  If  the  man  before  him  were  not  a 
foreigner  and  an  official  of  rank,  he  would  have  had 
no  compunctions  in  ordering  a  file  of  soldiers  in  to 
take  him  out  to  be  shot.  But  unfortunately,  so  he 
thought,  there  was  no  way  in  which  he  could  grat 
ify  his  bloodthirsty  inclinations.  He  could  not  shoot 
the  Consul,  and  as  matters  now  stood,  with  that 
gentleman  in  possession  of  the  facts  about  the  pris 
oners,  he  could  not  shoot  them,  either.  But  he  could, 
and  he  would,  shoot  somebody,  even  if  it  had  to  be 
one  of  his  own  subjects  !  Whom  could  he  spare  best  ? 
Or  rather,  whom  did  he  hate  most?  Ha!  How  did  the 
Consul  get  his  information  ?  Why,  it  must  have  been 
through  the  jailer,  for  he  had  had  strict  orders  not  to 
allow  a  single  person  within  the  castle's  walls.  Be 
fore  replying  to  the  Consul's  demand,  Lelee  sent  for 
his  orderly,  to  whom  he  gave  a  whispered  message. 
Then  he  said  :  — 

"Ah,  escuse  roe,  Missey  Consool.     I  haf  eempor- 


Diamond  cut  Diamond.  37 

tant  beesness.  Now  I  am  at  your  servaice."  There 
was  a  gleam  of  malicious  satisfaction  in  his  eyes, 
which  the  Consul  could  not  account  for,  seeing  that 
he  was  apparently  pushing  him  to  the  wall.  "  You 
want  zat  ordair  for  ze  release  ?  Veil,  you  vill  not  get 
eet !  Ze  preesonair  shall  stay  zere  and  die  first !  Zat 
ees  my  answair.  Ees  zat  all,  Missey  Consool  ? " 

"Yes,  that  is  all,"  said  the  Consul,  taking  up  his 
hat.  "That  is  —  all  just  at  present.  But  —  " 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  know  what  you  vill  say :  Zat  eef 
harm  come  to  ze  boys  you  vill  blow  ze  roof  off  ze 
palais.  Poof !  I  haf  hear  zat  before.  Adios,  Sefior 
Consool.  Look  een  as  you  pass  ze  parade  ground 
and  you  vill  see  zomesings  zat  show  you  ze  power  of 
Lelee !  Adios." 

"That  was  a  case  of  'diamond  cut  diamond,'" 
mused  the  Consul,  as  he  walked  down  the  street, 
"  and  for  the  nonce  it  looks  as  if  the  black  diamond 
had  cut  the  white  one.  But  we  shall  see.  Ha,  why 
is  that  crowd  gathering  at  the  parade  ground  ?  Some 
body  to  be  shot?  Who  is  it  this  time,  I  wonder?" 
Then  Lelee's  words  recurred  to  him,  and  his  heart 
grew  faint  for  a  second.  Even  as  he  looked  in  at  the 
gate  the  report  of  musketry  rang  out,  and  a  man, 
who  had  been  standing  against  a  wall  in  front  of  a 
line  of  soldiers,  fell  upon  his  face. 

"  Who  is  it  ? "  the  Consul  asked  of  a  passer-by. 

"Who?  Oh,  the  jailer  at  the  castle.  He  some 
how  offended  Lelee ! " 


IV. 

Turn  About  is  Fair  Play. 

AT  first  the  Consul  was  petrified  with  astonish 
ment,  then  almost  dismayed,  for  in  this  act 
he  recognized  defiance,  not  only  of  himself,  but  of 
his  government.  Lelee  had,  in  effect,  said  to  him : 
"  Do  your  worst.  I  defy  you  !  I  have  sole  right  of 
enacting  laws  in  my  island ;  you  interfere  at  your 
peril !  As  I  have  done  to  this  servant  of  mine,  so  I 
have  power  to  do  to  you  and  your  friends.  Take 
warning,  and  let  them  and  me  alone !  " 

A  crowd  had  gathered,  and,  following  after  the 
excited  people,  the  Consul  approached  the  soldiers 
who  had  constituted  the  firing  party.  They  were 
twelve  in  number,  and  the  smoke  was  still  drifting 
from  the  muzzles  of  their  rifles  as  the  Consul  reached 
the  scene  of  death.  In  front  of  them,  prone  on  his 
face,  lay  the  unfortunate  jailer,  blood  oozing  from 
many  wounds.  He  had  predicted  truly ;  his  em 
ployer  had  avenged  his  dereliction  from  duty  with 
his  life  blood ! 

The  soldiers  were  as  indifferent  as  if  this  were  an 
everyday  occurrence ;  and  indeed,  the  shooting  of  a 
man  or  woman  merely  to  gratify  a  whim  of  the  ruler 

38 


Turn  About  is  Fair  Play.  39 

was  no  uncommon  thing.  They  were  chatting  to 
gether,  taking  no  notice  of  the  victim  of  their  mur 
derous  aim,  and  the  crowd,  though  curious  to  see 
who  it  was  had  been  slain,  evinced  no  other  feeling. 
They  were  used  to  such  spectacles,  and  only  felt 
concerned  when  the  victim  was  one  of  their  own 
family  or  an  intimate  friend.  As  the  jailer  had 
endeared  himself  to  nobody,  nobody  cared  whether 
he  lay  there  all  day  or  not,  and  none  lamented  his 
unhappy  fate. 

The  Consul  took  all  this  in  at  one  swift  glance, 
then  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  rapidly  toward 
the  river.  His  plan  of  action  was  developed  the 
moment  he  was  cognizant  of  what  had  been  done. 
He  knew  there  was  now  no  time  for  delay,  that  every 
minute's  delay  might  be  fraught  with  danger  ;  and  he 
acted  accordingly. 

Arrived  at  one  of  the  wharves  on  the  river  bank, 
he  entered  a  large  warehouse,  where,  seated  at  a  desk 
in  its  office,  was  a  small,  brown  man  with  bright 
black  eyes  and  intelligent  face,  writing  rapidly. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Garland,  good  morning ;  or  rather  good 
afternoon.  I  wanted  to  see  you  about  —  But  what 
is  the  matter  ?  You  look  disturbed." 

"  Matter,  Don  Santos  ?  Why,  I  have  just  witnessed 
the  shooting  of  the  castle  jailer.  Did  you  not  hear 
the  volley?" 

"  Oh,  yes.  But  I  pay  no  attention  to  such  things 
as  that  now,  for  what's  the  use  ?  Lelee  is  going  to 


40  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

have  his  daily  victim,  whatever  comes.  And  after 
all,  that  jailer  will  be  no  great  loss  to  the  community, 
as  you  yourself  must  admit." 

"  No,  Don  Santos,  I  admit  nothing  of  the  sort.  A 
life  is  a  life  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  this  shedding  of 
human  blood  must  be  stopped.  And  what  is  more,  I 
am  going  to  stop  it !  " 

Don  Santos  shrugged  his  shoulders  ;  for  though  he 
was  a  Vice-consul  of  the  United  States,  and  confi 
dential  agent  of  the  government  when  Mr.  Garland 
was  absent  from  his  post,  he  was  a  native  Dominican, 
and  did  not  take  such  serious  views  of  the  situation 
as  his  friend. 

"You  can't  stop  it,"  he  rejoined,  "for  what  excuse 
can  you  raise  for  interfering  in  the  concerns  of  this 
island?" 

"I  have  one,  already,"  said  the  Consul.  "And  it 
is  about  this  very  thing  I  have  come  to  consult  you. 
Not  to  consult  you,  either,  for  my  mind  is  made  up 
as  to  my  course,  but  to  get  you  to  aid  me.  Santos, 
listen.  Can  any  one  overhear  me  ? " 

"  No,  Consul,  we  are  alone  and  not  even  the  wiliest 
of  Lelee's  spies  can  hear  a  word  you  say." 

"  Good !  Santos,  tell  me  where  the  Capricornia 
was  the  last  you  heard  from  her.  Can  I  reach  her 
by  cable  this  very  moment  ?  " 

"Yes,  Consul,  and  that  reminds  me,  I  have  just 
received  a  message  from  her  commander,  reporting 
her  arrival  at  Ponce." 


Turn  About  is  Fair  Play.  41 

"  At  Ponce  ?  Good  !  She  can  get  here  by  to 
morrow  morning  at  daybreak,  can  she  not  ?  Give 
me  the  cable  code,  Santos.  Connect  your  wire  with 
the  cable  end.  No,  don't  ask  me  why  just  now.  Do 
as  I  tell  you." 

The  wondering  Vice-consul  connected  his  office 
with  the  cable  house  on  the  shore,  and  in  three  min 
utes  reported  all  ready.  Then  he  sat  down  at  his 
instrument  and  from  the  Consul's  dictation  took  the 
following  message,  which  was  flashed  along  at  light 
ning  speed  :  — 

"  Commander  U.S.  cruiser  Capricornia,  Ponce,  Porto 
Rico.     Bismuth,  Bicarbonate,  Bobolink,  Bulgaria. 
(Signed)         "U.S.  Consul  Garland, 

Santo  Domingo  City." 

"  There  ! "  exclaimed  the  Consul,  "  if  that  doesn't 
fetch  him,  my  cake  may  be  dough.  Did  you  tell  the 
operator  to  return  answer  ? " 

"Yes,  Don  Enrique  (Spanish  for  Henry).  He 
will  send  answer  soon  as  received.  But  what,  in  the 
name  of  all  the  saints,  do  you  want  of  another  United 
States  warship  here  now  ?  My  faith,  we  have  hardly 
recovered  from  entertaining  the  officers  of  the  last 
one.  I  had  thought  there  was  not  to  be  another  for 
six  months.  So  the  general  orders  said  when  we 
last  received  them,  as  you  may  recollect." 

"True,  Santos,  and  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
events,  we  should  not  be  favored  with  another  visit 


42  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

from  one  in  the  length  of  time  you  mention.  That 
is  what  Lelee  thinks,  too,  and  that  accounts  for  his 
outrageous  behavior.  He  thinks  there  will  not  be  an 
American  man-of-war  here  for  half  a  year,  so  he  has 
defied  me  and  my  government,  hoping  perhaps  that 
all  will  blow  over  before  the  time  comes  for  a  reckon 
ing.  But  this  time  he  is  mistaken,  and  before  I  get 
through  with  him  I'm  going  to  make  him  feel  the 
weight  of  Uncle  Sam's  heavy  hand  !  " 

"  But  he  must  have  known  of  the  arrival  of  the  war 
ship  at  Ponce,  only  a  hundred  miles  or  so  away,  and 
he  must  have  been  aware,  too,  that  under  the  circum 
stances,  you  would  be  likely  to  send  for  her.  In  that 
case,  if  I  am  correct,  why  didn't  he  stop  the  cable?" 

"  My  dear  Santos,  you  are  correct,  both  as  to  your 
surmise  and  —  excuse  me  for  saying  it  —  simple  as  to 
your  understanding.  Why  do  you  suppose  I  came 
here  to  send  that  message,  when  I  might  just  as 
readily  have  sent  it  from  my  office  ?  Was  it  not 
because  I  knew  Lelee  would  have  already  anticipated 
the  act,  and  have  intercepted  the  message  on  the 
way  ?  I  have  a  'phone  there,  to  be  sure ;  but  there 
also  is  Pedro,  a  hireling  of  Lelee's,  right  at  my  elbow, 
and  with  eyes  and  ears  always  open  !  " 

"  To  be  sure,  Consul.  What  a  dolt  I  was  for  not 
thinking  of  it.  But  why  do  you  keep  Pedro  there  in 
the  consulate,  knowing  him  to  be  a  paid  spy  of  the 
President's  ? " 

"  Oh,  because  I  know  he  is  a  spy,  and  if  I  should 


Turn  About  is  Fair  Play.  43 

discharge  him  it  would  excite  suspicion,  while  another 
clerk  might  be  just  as  bad,  and  I  not  be  acquainted 
with  his  methods.  As  it  is,  I  can  follow  the  pro 
cesses  of  Pedro's  mind  to  a  certainty.  I  know  in 
advance  just  when  he  is  going  to  the  palace  with 
information  against  me.  And  what  is  more,  I  am 
always  pretty  sure  what  he  carries,  for  I  prepare  it 
for  him.  I  take  care,  you  know,  that  he  shall  carry 
only  the  right  sort !  " 

"  Good  !  "  said  Don  Santos,  laughing  heartily.  "  I 
had  a  notion  that  Pedro  was  not  fooling  you  very 
much,  but  I  didn't  think  you  were  deceiving  Lelee  at 
the  same  time.  It  is  a  very  clever  man  who  can  get 
ahead  of  'his  Excellency,'  my  dear  Consul." 

"Granted,"  rejoined  the  Consul.  "But  I  don't 
take  any  great  credit  to  myself.  If  in  the  end  I  suc 
ceed  in  outwitting  Lelee,  it  will  be  because  I  am 
honest  and  above  board,  while  '  his  Excellency '  reck 
ons  upon  my  being  deep,  cunning,  and  knavish,  like 
himself.  The  trouble  with  him  is  that  he  is  so 
steeped  in  iniquity  that  he  can't  understand  purity  of 
purpose  or  honesty.  When  I  make  such  a  statement 
as  I  did  to  him  this  morning,  for  instance :  that  un 
less  he  releases  those  boys  at  the  castle  I  will  use 
force,  —  he  thinks  I  am  'bluffing.'  But  he  will  find 
out  pretty  soon  that  I  was  not,  and  particularly  if  the 
right  sort  of  message  comes  from  Ponce." 

"  Pardon  me,  Consul,  but  I  don't  understand  what 
you  mean  by  the  'boys  in  the  castle/  Are  they 


44  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Americans,  and  is  it  on  account  of  them  that  you  are 
raising  all  this  row?  I  thought  you  were  beside 
yourself  to  call  a  warship  just  on  account  of  that 
little  shooting  to-day.  Tell  me  about  them,  and  let 
me  help  you  if  I  can." 

"  I  will,  Santos ;  for,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  feel  quite 
concerned  about  them  —  more  than  ever  since  Lelee 
has  shown  his  tigerish  disposition  by  shooting  their 
jailer  and  leaving  them  without  a  single  protector, 
in  that  jail  full  of  criminals."  Then  the  Consul 
explained  the  situation  fully,  and  when  he  was 
through,  Don  Santos  agreed  with  him  that  it  was 
critical,  and  called  for  immediate  action  of  some 
sort.  But  what  could  they  do  before  the  warship 
arrived,  and  —  disquieting  thought  —  what  should 
they  do  if  it  did  not  arrive  at  all  ? 

A  telephone  call  attracted  their  attention,  and 
while  the  Vice-consul  received  and  wrote  down  the 
message,  the  Consul  translated  it  by  the  code  book's 
aid.  It  was  as  follows  :  "  Jinrikisha,  Arkansas,  Solis, 
Sacramento,  Alternate." 

"  He's  coming,"  almost  shouted  the  Consul,  in  his 
delight  at  the  good  news.  "  Commander  Davis  says 
he  will  be  here  to-morrow  morning  at  daybreak,  and 
will  liberate  us  as  soon  as  possible.  I  wonder  what 
he  means  by  that.  He  must  have  misunderstood  my 
message.  But,  no  matter ;  the  main  fact  is  he's  com 
ing,  and  the  question  now  is,  shall  I  inform  Lelee  of 
the  news,  or  leave  him  to  find  it  out  for  himself  ? " 


Turn  About  is   Fair  Play.  45 

"Don't  bother  about  Lelee,"  replied  the  Vice-con 
sul.  "The  chances  are  that  he  knows  it  already." 

"No,  I  don't  think  so,"  rejoined  the  Consul. 
"  But,  will  you  go  with  me  to  the  castle,  to  see  if 
we  can  establish  communication  with  the  prisoners  ? 
I'm  afraid,  though,  we  shall  have  difficulty  in  getting 
in,  now  that  my  friend,  the  former  jailer,  is  dead. 
However,  if  you  approve,  we'll  try,  anyway." 

"I  don't  think  it's  any  use,"  said  the  Vice-consul. 
"  Lelee  has  somebody  there  in  his  place  whom  he 
can  absolutely  trust,  and  he  probably  has  orders  not 
to  allow  any  one  to  approach.  If  only  they  can 
hang  out  till  the  morning,  we  shall  be  able  then 
to  enforce  our  demands ;  till  then,  patience  and 
watchfulness  should  be  our  watchwords.  We  must 
be  on  guard  against  surprises,  for  our  enemy  is  a 
crafty  and  at  the  same  time  a  desperate  man.  He 
is  one  who  would  not  hesitate,  if  he  thought  his 
fortunes  were  at  stake,  to  burn  the  city  over  our 
heads,  and  if  possible  murder  us  before  doing  so." 

"  You  are  right,  Santos,  I  believe ;  and  yet  it  is 
hard  to  leave  them  alone  another  night,  with  no 
hope  of  possible  rescue ;  nothing  to  sustain  them  in 
their  misery,  even  if  they  are  unharmed.  It  is  a 
terrible  situation,  and  I  wish  I  could  relieve  it.  San 
tos,  I  believe  I  will  attempt  it,  anyway.  You  needn't 
go,  you  have  a  wife  and  family ;  but  I'll  take  the 
risk,  if  only  to  ascertain  if  they  are  alive  and  likely 
to  last  till  morning." 


46  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  No,  no,  Don  Enrique  ;  you  shall  not  go  alone.  I 
will  go,  too.  They  will  not  dare  harm  us,  of  course ; 
I  was  only  thinking  of  the  expediency  of  the  move, 
believing  it  better  not  to  excite  the  rascals  by  our 
•presence.  There  is  no  knowing  what  Lelee  will  do 
next ;  but  of  one  thing  I  am  certain :  that,  if  he 
thought  it  possible  for  his  prisoners  to  escape,  he 
would  rather  shoot  them  than  stand  the  conse 
quences.  However,  we  can  go  out  and  reconnoitre. 
There  will  be  no  harm  in  that.  Here,  this  way.  I 
will  show  you  a  short  cut  to  the  castle." 

The  two  started  out  by  the  doorway  indicated  by 
Don  Santos,  but  the  Consul,  who  was  ahead,  had 
hardly  put  his  foot  outside  when  he  was  almost 
impaled  upon  a  gleaming  bayonet  pointed  at  his 
breast.  He  started  back  in  surprise,  but,  recovering 
himself,  demanded,  "  What  do  you  mean  by  this?" 

But  the  soldier  at  the  other  end  of  the  gun  to 
which  the  bayonet  was  affixed  stood  his  ground, 
scowling  as  he  muttered,  "  By  order  of  the  Presi 
dent  ! " 


V. 

How  the  Tables  were  Turned. 

"TTTELL,    Santos,"    said     the    Consul,    as    he 

V?  backed  into  the  office,  "  this  is  a  fine  state 
of  affairs,  is  it  not  ?  What  can  we  do  ? " 

"  Nothing  at  present,  it  appears  to  me,  Don  En 
rique.  We  are  prisoners,  without  a  doubt.  But 
we  are  as  good  as  forty  dead  men."  The  Vice-consul 
spoke  carelessly,  and  rolling  a  cigarette,  lighted  it, 
and  seating  himself,  sent  rings  of  smoke  up  to  the 
ceiling,  while  his  friend  stared  at  him  in  blank 
amazement. 

"Perhaps  you  are  used  to  this  sort  of  thing, 
Santos,"  the  Consul  said  at  last,  rather  vexed  with 
the  Vice-consul  for  taking  it  so  much  as  a  matter  of 
course ;  "  but,  aside  from  the  affront  to  my  govern 
ment  in  treating  its  representatives  with  such 
indignity,  I  regard  this  as  an  insult  which  cannot 
be  overlooked." 

"Very  true,  Don  Enrique,  and  I  feel  it  the  same 
as  you  do ;  but  it's  no  use  to  fume  or  worry.  We 
shall  have  our  opportunity  when  the  warship  gets 
here,  and  if  you  don't  make  Lelee  walk  a  chalk-line, 
I  will  throw  up  my  position  as  Vice-consul.  But, 

47 


48  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

look  here,  the  thing  has  its  funny  features,  after 
all." 

He  drew  the  Consul  to  the  window,  and  pointed 
to  a  negro  climbing  a  telephone  pole.  "  Ha,  ha !  the 
black  monkey  is  going  to  cut  the  wire,  so  we  can 
have  no  communication  with  the  ship.  See  the 
humor  of  it  ?  Locking  the  stable  door  after  the 
horse  is  stolen,  eh?" 

"  It  is  rather  funny,"  assented  the  Consul,  smil 
ing.  "But  it  occurs  to  me  that  when  Lelee  finds 
that  the  message  has  already  been  sent,  he  will  take 
revenge  on  the  cable  operator,  Santos.  What  do 
you  think  of  that  ? "  The  Vice-consul  looked  grave 
at  once. 

"  I  hadn't  thought  of  it ;  but  it  is  true,  he  will. 
I  wouldn't  give  a  dollar  for  poor  Ben's  chance  of 
life  when  the  President  finds  out  the  true  condi 
tion  of  things." 

"The  man  hasn't  quite  gotten  to  the  wire  yet, 
has  he  ?  Can't  you  stick  your  head  out  and  create 
a  diversion  for  a  minute  or  two  while  I  send  a  warn 
ing  to  Ben  ? " 

"Of  course,  Santos.  That's  right.  Go  ahead, 
while  I  try  to  hold  the  wire  for  you." 

The  Consul  opened  the  door  and  hailed  the  black 
man  up  the  pole.  There  were  a  hundred  or  more 
other  soldiers  scattered  about  in  the  open  space  in 
front  of  the  warehouse,  and  they  all  sprang  to  arms 
with  great  alacrity  when  the  Consul  made  his  ap- 


How  the  Tables  were  Turned.  49 

pearance ;  but  seeing  that  he  made  no  effort  to 
escape,  they  resumed  their  former  attitudes  of  repose. 
Meanwhile,  Santos  was  calling  up  the  cable  operator 
in  his  little  hut  down  by  the  river  mouth  a  mile  or 
so  away :  — 

"  Hello,  Ben.  That  you  ?  Yes  ?  Well,  listen  ; 
your  life  is  in  peril.  Lelee  has  his  soldiers  out 
looking  for  trouble.  But  if  you  can  hide  over  night 
somewhere,  there  will  be  a  warship  here  in  the  morn 
ing  that  will  change  the  aspect  of  things.  Under 
stand  ?  If  you  can  raise  a  canoe,  better  take  a  short 
run  down  the  coast  a  bit  and  watch  out  for  the  ship. 
Board  her  if  you  can  ;  at  any  rate  keep  shy  till  you 
hear  good  news  again.  Consul  and  I  are  prisoners 
in  the  warehouse  office,  but  — "  Zip  !  The  wire  was 
cut,  and  whatever  the  Vice-consul  intended  to  say 
was  never  uttered. 

The  Consul  had  but  poor  success  at  temporizing, 
for  the  man  up  the  pole  merely  turned  his  head  when 
shouted  at,  and  then  went  on  climbing  again,  as  for 
dear  life.  He  had  his  orders  from  Lelee,  and  he 
knew  what  it  would  mean  to  him  if  he  disobeyed 
those  orders.  He  had  a  wife  and  children  in  a  little 
grass  hut  out  in  the  country,  and  he  had  no  notion 
of  leaving  them  without  a  protector,  for  that  is  what 
would  result  if  he  disobeyed.  Even  at  that  moment 
an  officer  had  a  bead  on  him  with  a  rifle,  and  if  he 
delayed  an  instant,  his  life  would  be  the  penalty  of 
that  delay.  So  he  did  not  hesitate,  but  went  on 


50  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

climbing,  and  finally  reached  the  wire  and  pulled  out 
a  pair  of  shears  from  his  pocket. 

"  Confound  the  rascal,"  muttered  the  Consul,  "  I've 
a  good  mind  to  shoot  him  down.  Santos,  bring  me 
your  revolver ! " 

But  Santos  was  very  busy  driving  through  that 
message,  every  second  being  most  precious,  and  paid 
no  attention  to  his  friend's  demand.  With  the  cut 
ting  of  the  wire  his  work  was  done,  and  the  Consul, 
seeing  the  futility  of  further  remonstrance,  withdrew, 
slamming  the  door  in  the  face  of  a  lieutenant  who 
came  up  at  the  moment,  and  who  seemed  much 
offended  at  being  denied  speech  with  his  prisoner 
in  such  a  summary  manner. 

"  Don't  irritate  them  needlessly,  Don  Enrique," 
advised  the  Vice-consul.  "They're  bad  enough  when 
unprovoked,  but  no  one  knows  what  they  will  do  if 
irritated.  While  I  don't  believe  Lelee  would  dare 
go  to  the  length  of  causing  our  deaths,  yet  I'm 
pretty  sure  he  would  not  punish  very  severely  any 
of  his  sub-officers  who  took  it  into  their  heads  to 
put  us  out  of  the  way." 

"  So  am  I,  Santos,  and  I  am  as  well  aware  as  you 
that  it  is  best  to  be  politic  with  them ;  yet  there  is 
a  limit  beyond  which  I  will  not  go,  even  if  my  life 
be  the  stake.  I  will  not  stay  here  to  be  badgered 
by  a  troop  of  ragamuffins  like  that.  You  may  if 
you  like ;  but  I  am  going  back  to  my  office !  " 

"  Very  well,  and  if  you  go,  I  go  with  you.     Here, 


How  the  Tables  were  Turned.  51 

take  one  of  these  revolvers,  and  I  will  take  the  other. 
Both  are  loaded,  and  if  we  are  attacked  we  shall  not 
die  alone.  Wait  till  I  secure  the  windows  and  put 
things  to  rights,  as  if  I  were  going  out  merely  on  a 
business  call.  I  will  lock  the  door,  too,  and  if  any 
damage  is  done,  somebody  will  have  to  pay  for  it. 
Now  I  am  ready." 

Don  Santos  was  a  methodical  man  of  business, 
above  all  else,  as  his  every  action  showed.  He  was 
honest  as  daylight,  and  reliable  as  the  sun  itself. 
The  Consul  depended  upon  his  advice  in  all  impor 
tant  matters,  and  it  had  never  led  him  astray.  This 
quiet  little  man  was  a  tower  of  moral  strength,  and 
with  him  by  his  side,  the  superior  official  felt  that 
he  could  easily  face  a  larger  gathering  than  that 
mob  of  blacks  outside.  So  he  said  :  — 

"  That's  right,  Santos.  We  won't  stay  here  to  be 
treated  like  rats  in  a  trap,  but  we'll  charge  the  enemy 
at  once.  Bring  along  our  flag,  too,  Santos.  We'll 
wrap  it  around  us,  and  then  see  if  these  barbarians 
will  dare  touch  us  in  the  folds  of  Old  Glory  ! " 

The  Consul  stepped  outside,  followed  by  Don 
Santos,  who  turned  around  and  locked  the  door,  then 
with  his  companion  calmly  faced  the  soldiers,  who 
came  hurrying  forward  with  their  guns  held  threaten 
ingly.  The  officer  in  command  stepped  out  in  front 
of  the  two  and  asked  by  what  authority  they  ventured 
forth  without  his  permission,  at  the  same  time  laying 
a  hand  on  the  Consul's  shoulder.  Throwing  off  the 


52  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

hand  as  though  it  were  a  viper,  the  Consul  was  about 
to  spring  upon  the  officer,  when  Santos  grasped  him 
by  the  arm. 

"No,  no,  for  Heaven's  sake,  don't  touch  him  !  All 
his  men  would  be  upon  us  in  no  time.  Softly,  softly. 
Let  me  argue  with  him." 

"  What  ?  Argue  with  this  man  ?  Never  !  Stand 
aside,  sir!" — to  the  officer.  "Stand  aside  and  let 
us  pass  !  Do  you  see  this  ?  It  is  the  American  flag. 
It  is  carried  by  a  consul  and  vice-consul  of  the  United 
States  :  a  nation  of  seventy  million  people,  and  war 
ships  enough  to  demolish  your  miserable  island. 
Aside,  now,  and  let  us  pass !  " 

The  Consul  threw  the  flag  over  his  and  Don  Santos* 
shoulders  and  stalked  on,  regardless  of  the  attempt 
made  by  the  officer  to  halt  them.  But  the  latter, 
though  at  first  overawed  by  the  Consul's  lofty  manner 
and  at  sight  of  the  flag,  again  rallied  his  men  around 
him  and  endeavored  to  stop  the  fugitives.  He 
again  threw  himself  before  the  Consul,  and  this 
worthy  wasted  no  further  words  upon  him,  but  let  fly 
a  robust  fist  right  in  his  face,  with  such  good  aim  and 
so  much  force  that  the  man  fell  flat  to  the  ground. 

There  was  a  great  hubbub  instantly,  and  several 
guns  were  aimed  at  the  white  men  ;  but  the  sight  of 
the  Consul  and  Vice-consul,  standing  back  to  back, 
a  revolver  in  the  right  hand  of  each,  caused  the  sol 
diers  who  had  gathered  around  to  halt,  then  to  sepa 
rate,  then  to  run,  every  one  of  them  as  if  a  mad  dog 


How  the  Tables  were  Turned.  53 

were  at  his  heels.  All  but  the  officer  who  had  been 
sent  sprawling  to  the  ground.  He  still  lay  there, 
though  he  was  far  from  badly  hurt,  and  the  Consul, 
touching  him  with  the  toe  of  his  boot,  told  him  to  get 
up  and  go  about  his  business.  This  he  did  with  a 
very  crestfallen  air  and  muttering  to  himself  ;  but 
when  he  reached  the  great  gate  in  the  city  wall  he 
disappeared  with  such  alacrity  that  the  two  friends 
burst  out  laughing. 

"Well,  Santos,  we  have  put  that  army  to  flight, 
and  as  there  seems  to  be  no  other  battle  imminent 
just  now,  suppose  we  wrap  up  Old  Glory  and  pursue 
our  way  to  the  office.  It  was  a  bloodless  battle,  after 
all,  wasn't  it  ?  You  see,  Santos,  you  were  hardly  cor 
rect  in  your  estimate  of  Dominican  valor,  eh  ? " 

"  No,"  answered  the  Vice-consul,  rather  reluctantly. 
"  I'm  afraid  my  countrymen  cannot  hold  the  record 
for  bravery.  The  bravest  among  them,  as  you  know, 
is  the  President,  and  he  drives  these  poor  beggars 
before  him  like  sheep." 

"That's  true,  Santos,  and  do  you  know,"  rejoined 
the  Consul,  as  he  folded  the  flag  and  made  it  into  an 
unnoticeable  bundle,  fondly  caressing  it  and  smooth 
ing  out  every  wrinkle,  "  I  really  believe  I  have  more 
respect  for  Lelee,  rascal  as  he  is,  than  I  have  for  the 
people  he  rules  so  ruthlessly?  If  he  would  only 
subdue  that  barbarous  inclination  of  his  for  bloodshed, 
he  might  do  wonders  in  this  island,  with  all  its  vast 
resources  and  its  tractable  people." 


54  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  Indeed  he  might,"  said  Santos,  "  but  I  fear  he  is 
incorrigible.  He  is  like  the  tiger  that  has  once 
tasted  human  blood  ;  he  has  an  unquenchable  thirst 
for  it  evermore,  and  having  been  so  long  the  despot 
that  he  is,  he  will  probably  come  to  an  untimely  end 
still  unregenerate." 

Conversing  thus  so  carelessly,  having  put  the 
revolvers  out  of  sight,  the  two  friends  strolled 
across  the  open  space  between  the  great  city  wall 
of  the  capital  and  the  river,  entered  the  gateway,  and 
took  the  street  that  led  up  the  hill  toward  the 
consulate. 

If  so  much  time  had  not  been  consumed  in  narrat 
ing  these  events  that  belong  rightfully  to  the  story, 
and  which  it  seems  unavoidable  to  give  in  full,  it 
might  be  well  to  halt  here  just  a  moment  and  give  a 
description  of  the  old  wall  through  which  the  consuls 
passed  on  their  way,  for  it  is  probably  the  oldest  in 
this  country,  and  right  above  and  behind  it  rise  the 
ruins  of  the  Casa  de  Colon  —  Don  Diego's  house  — 
to  which  reference  was  made  in  the  first  chapter. 
But  the  writer  is  as  anxious  as  the  reader,  doubtless, 
—  and  perhaps  more  so,  —  to  ascertain  the  condition 
of  the  two  boys  left  so  long  in  durance  vile  at  the  old 
castle,  and  especially  after  the  shooting  of  the  jailer 
seemed  to  deprive  them  of  the  only  man  at  hand  who 
had  an  interest  in  their  recovery  or  liberation.  Per 
haps  the  Consul  felt  in  a  measure  accessory  before 
the  fact,  since  it  was  the  direct  result  of  his  mediation 


How  the  Tables  were  Turned.  55 

that  brought  about  the  shooting.  However,  as  the 
Consul  had  not  the  gift  of  prescience,  and  could  not 
have  foreseen  the  terrible  result  of  his  interference, 
he  certainly  cannot  be  held  responsible  for  the  cruel 
act  of  the  President.  If  he  failed  in  aught,  it  was  in 
assuming  he  possessed  a  greater  influence  with  the 
President  than  he  really  had.  All  men  are  liable  to 
be  mistaken  and  to  overestimate  their  importance. 


VI. 

The  President  makes  a  Mistake. 

THE  French  have  a  saying  that  it  is  the  unex 
pected  that  always  happens.  But  not  always  ; 
for  instance,  when  the  two  friends  arrived  at  the  con 
sulate  they  fully  expected  to  find  a  messenger  from  the 
President ;  and  sure  enough  he  was  there,  in  the  person 
of  his  orderly.  He  saluted  respectfully,  as  though 
he  had  no  cognizance  whatever  of  the  recent  doings  of 
the  Consul  and  his  assistant,  and  as  they  were  seated 
in  the  office  he  presented  a  message  from  Lelee. 

There  was  indeed  a  twinkle  in  the  corners  of  his 
eyes  as  he  did  so,  for  he  could  not  have  been  unaware 
of  the  fact  that  these  two  had  put  to  flight  a  hundred 
or  so  of  his  master's  soldiers,  as  by  this  time  the 
whole  city  knew  of  it.  The  spectacle  of  a  company 
of  Lelee's  ragamuffins  running  for  dear  life  through 
the  streets  was  not  an  uncommon  sight,  indeed,  and 
the  citizens  were  sort  of  used  to  it ;  but  the  manner 
of  their  dispersal  had  somehow  leaked  out,  and  a  vast 
crowd  was  already  assembling  in  front  of  the  consulate. 

It  was  not  by  any  means  a  bloodthirsty  assemblage, 
however,  and  was  more  disposed  to  regard  the  two 
consuls  as  heroes  than  as  enemies  of  their  country; 
for  any  person  or  persons  who  would  give  Lelee  and 
his  myrmidons  a  setback  were  entitled  to  their  grati- 

56 


The  President  makes  a  Mistake.          57 

tude.  So  we  shall  leave  them  there,  their  numbers 
steadily  augmenting,  while  the  Consul  gives  his  atten 
tion  to  the  presidential  communication.  As  it  was 
in  Spanish,  I  shall  have  to  translate  it,  —  an  easy  mat 
ter,  as  it  was  brief  though  pointed. 

"To  SENOR  DON  ENRIQUE  GARLAND,  Consul  Gen 
eral  de  los  Estados  Unidos  de  America  del  Norte. 

"  Estimado  Senor  Consul:  It  has  been  brought  to 
my  notice  that  an  unprovoked  assault  was  made  this 
afternoon  upon  a  body  of  my  soldiers  acting  under 
the  order  of  a  gallant  officer  in  my  service,  Senor 
Capitan  Antonio  Pomberoso  Fuliginoso,  and  that 
notwithstanding  he  was  acting  in  accordance  with 
orders  he  had  received  from  officials  his  superior  in 
station,  he,  the  said  Senor  Capitan  Antonio  Pom 
beroso  Fuliginoso,  was  feloniously  set  upon  and 
suffered  bodily  harm  at  the  hands  of  parties  inti 
mately  connected  with  the  consular  service  of  the 
United  States  in  Santo  Domingo. 

"  Be  it  known,  therefore,  that  I  shall  cause  a  watch 
to  be  set  upon  said  consular  officials  and  consulate, 
and  shall  instruct  my  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign 
Affairs  to  communicate  with  all  due  speed  with  the 
government  you  have  the  honor  to  represent. 

"  I  remain,  sir, 
"  Su  atento  servido,  Q.  B.  S.  M., 

"ULISES  HEUREAUX, 
" Presidente  de  la  Republica" 


58  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Within  half  an  hour  after  the  Consul  had  received 
and  digested  this  communication,  the  President's 
orderly  was  hastening  toward  the  palace  with  the 
following :  — 

"To  his  Excellency,  ULISES  HEUREAUX,  Presidente 
de  la  Republica  de  Santo  Domingo. 
"  Su  Excellencia ;  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge 
the  receipt  of  your  respected  favor  of  this  date,  and 
in  reply  would  say  that  you  may  save  yourself  the 
trouble  of  communicating  with  my  government,  or 
of  setting  spies  upon  its  insular  representatives,  by 
deferring  such  proceedings  until  about  six  o'clock 
to-morrow  morning,  when  I  shall  be  in  a  position  to 
exact  reparation  for  the  insults  and  ignominy  you 
have  heaped  upon  said  representatives.  I  have  the 
honor  to  remain, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  HENRY  GARLAND, 
"  Consul  of  the  United  States  in  Santo 
Domingo''' 

When  the  redoubtable  Lelee  had  received  and  read 
this  interesting  epistle,  with  its  veiled  threat  of  com 
ing  reparation,  he  came  as  near  turning  pale  as  he 
ever  did  in  his  brief,  though  tumultuous,  existence. 
He  stormed  and  swore ;  he  recalled  his  orderly,  who 
had  scarcely  left  the  room,  and  despatched  him  at 
once  for  the  captain  of  the  company  that  had  so 


The  President  makes  a  Mistake.          59 

signally  failed  in  its  duty.  When  that  individual 
appeared  before  him,  he  found  to  his  horror  that 
his  dread  master  was  clutching  his  left  arm  as 
though  he  would  break  whatever  bones  remained 
unshattered  by  the  bullet  of  long  ago.  He  at  once 
fell  upon  his  face  and  refused  to  be  comforted,  for  he 
felt  his  doom  was  sealed. 

"  Dog  of  a  serrano,  despicable  son  of  Belial ! " 
thundered  the  President  in  Spanish,  "  in  what 
manner  did  you  carry  out  my  orders  ?  Did  you  cut 
the  wires  ?  Did  you  set  a  guard  around  the  warehouse 
and  consular  residence  ?  Speak,  varlet !  " 

"  Your  Excellency,  I  cut  the  wire  leading  from  the 
Vice-consul's  office,  I  prevented  him  and  his  master 
from  escaping,  until  —  until  —  " 

"  Yes,  until  they  had  sent  a  message  to  the  cable 
office  and  summoned  a  warship !  Until  they  sallied 
forth  and  put  you  and  your  cowardly  crew  to  flight ! 
Cur !  You  know  how  I  despise  a  coward  !  Do  you 
know  what  I  do  to  cowards  ?  Yes,  you  do.  You 
do !  Well,  then,  go  to  the  barracks,  and  order  a 
detail  of  your  best  marksmen  to  be  ready  for  a  little 
shooting  party  at  sunrise  to-morrow  morning.  The 
moment  that  Yankee  war  vessel  appears  in  sight, 
stand  yourself  against  the  blank  wall  of  the  carcel 
and  order  them  to  shoot  you  dead !  You  may  thus 
retrieve  your  reputation  and  bequeath  a  name  un 
tarnished  to  your  family.  Go,  dog  !  You  have  heard 
me.  Go ! " 


60  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

And  he  went.  The  valiant  capitan,  Antonio  Pom- 
beroso  Fuliginoso,  crawled  to  the  door  and  slunk  out 
of  sight ;  but  not  wholly  out  of  this  narrative,  for  he 
will  appear  again. 

"Santos,"  said  the  Consul  to  his  worthy  squire, 
who  for  faithfulness  was  a  veritable  Sancho  Panza, 
"  Santos,  mio,  how  many  minutes,  think  you,  before 
his  Excellency  will  honor  us,  all  unworthy  as  we  are, 
with  an  official  visit  ? " 

The  twain  were  then  seated  at  the  consular  table 
and  were  refreshing  themselves  after  the  arduous 
labors  and  excitement  of  the  day.  The  Consul  was 
in  a  most  enviable  frame  of  mind,  for  he  had  got 
Lelee  at  a  disadvantage.  Not  that  our  representa 
tive  in  that  far-off  island  had  a  single  grain  of  resent 
ment  toward  the  author  of  so  much  inconvenience  to 
him  ;  on  the  contrary,  now  that  the  tables  were  about 
to  be  turned,  he  rather  felt  pity  for  his  adversary. 

"Well,"  answered  the  Vice-consul,  "  I  think  he  will 
be  here  inside  of  an  hour,  at  the  farthest.  That 
letter  will  rattle  him."  If  there  was  any  one  thing 
the  Vice-consul  prided  himself  upon  more  than 
another,  it  was  his  vocabulary  of  American  slang, 
which  he  had  learned  along  with  the  language,  the 
latter  having  been  mainly  acquired  from  the  sailors 
who  frequented  the  docks  along  the  Ozama's  banks. 
As  slang  of  any  sort  is  not  permissible  in  polite 
society,  and  certainly  not  in  any  respectable  book,  an 
effort  will  be  made  to  eliminate  all  obnoxious  words 


The  President  makes  a  Mistake.          61 

from  the  Vice-consul's  conversation  ;  but  if  now  and 
then  a  word  slips  in  that  has  no  business  here,  it  is 
hoped  that  both  author  and  reporter  will  be  par 
doned.  Don  Santos  was  one  of  the  best  of  men, 
but  he  had  an  idea  that  his  English  was  the  very 
proper  thing,  —  the  language  "as  she  is  spoke,"  in 
fact,  —  and  as  no  one  reminded  him  to  the  contrary, 
he  hardly  knew  a  slang  word  from  one  that  had  been 
an  honor  and  ornament  to  the  Dictionary  since  the 
time  of  Dr.  Johnson. 

The  hour  allotted  had  hardly  expired  when  a  great 
shout  went  up  from  the  outside  of  the  consulate  :  "  El 
Presidente  !  El  Presidente !  " 

The  Consul  and  Vice-consul  looked  significantly  at 
each  other  as  the  great  commotion  outside  announced 
the  coming  of  the  President,  mounted  on  a  big  white 
stallion  which  he  forced  through  the  crowd,  regard 
less  of  the  consequences  to  his  servile  subjects  in  the 
way.  Throwing  the  reins  to  his  orderly,  he  leaped 
from  the  horse  and  passed  into  the  consulate,  where 
he  was  met  at  the  office  door  by  the  Consul  with 
a  bow  and  a  word  of  greeting.  You  would  have 
thought,  if  you  had  been  favored  by  a  glimpse  of 
the  meeting,  that  it  was  an  occasion  of  receiving  a 
long-lost  brother,  or  the  prodigal  son,  so  effusively  did 
these  two  greet  each  other.  But  there  was  a  smoul 
dering  fire  in  Lelee's  black  eyes,  and  a  firm  set  to 
the  Consul's  mouth,  that  presaged  something  more 
than  was  apparent  at  first  glance  and  on  the  surface. 


6i  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"Your  Excellency  does  me  great  honor,"  mur 
mured  the  Consul,  as  he  led  the  way  to  the  re 
ception  room.  "  I  trust  your  Excellency  is  well  ?  " 

"  Bastante  bien — pretty  well,  thank  your  honor 
able  self.  And  how  is  the  honorable  Consul  this 
evening  ?" 

"Well,  thank  your  Excellency.  Pray  be  seated, 
and  allow  me  to  offer  some  refreshments.  No  ? " 

Lelee  would  take  nothing,  —  nothing  but  compli 
ments, —  and  the  two  sat  looking  at  each  other  for 
quite  a  while.  Then  at  last  a  grim  smile  —  just  the 
ghost  of  a  grim  smile,  rather  —  crept  over  Lelee's 
stern,  set  face,  and  he  burst  out  with :  — 

"Veil,  Missee  Consool,  vat  is  eet  you  vant,  eh? 
Vat  you  complain  of  ?  " 

"  I,  your  Excellency  ?  Nothing,  nothing  at  all,  I 
assure  you.  My  complaints  are  all  in.  It  is  redress, 
your  Excellency,  that  seems  to  be  in  order  now." 

"  Redress  ?     Oh,  ah,  you  mean  damage,  eh  ?  " 

"Well,  not  exactly  damages;  but  really,  I  think 
some  sort  of  salve  ought  to  be  applied  to  the  wounds 
my  dignity  has  received,  you  know.  And  then  there 
is  the  other  thing,  the  original  grievance." 

"  Ah,  yes,  dose  boy.  Veil,  suppose  I  railease  dose 
boy?  Vat  next?" 

"  Your  Excellency  is  a  man  of  affairs ;  he  knows 
what  international  comity  requires  —  demands  —  bet 
ter,  perhaps,  than  myself." 

"Ah,  yes.     But  vat  about  dis  varsheep  dat  come 


The  President  makes  a  Mistake.          63 

here  ?  Eet  ees  to  help  ze  eenternational  comity  also, 
eh?" 

"  The  warship  ?  Oh,  yes,  you  mean  the  Capri- 
cornia,  I  suppose.  Well,  you  see,  she  was  at  Ponce, 
only  a  few  hours  away,  and  it  is  quite  natural  her 
commander  should  wish  to  run  over  for  a  call.  I 
should  have  informed  your  Excellency  before,  but 
circumstances  prevented,  you  know." 

"  Ye-es,  I  see.     And  ven  dose  she  airrive  ? " 

"  Oh,  any  time  to-morrow,  I  suppose.  She  will 
salute  the  castle,  of  course,  and  we  shall  thus  be 
informed  in  season." 

"Veil,  Senor  Consool,  dat  ees  all.     I  vill  now  go." 

"  But  your  Excellency  has  omitted  one  important 
matter,  which  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  call  to  your 
attention." 

"Ah,  ze  boy.  Ver'  veil,  but  not  to-night,  Senor 
Consool,  —  manana,  —  to-morrow  !  " 

"  No,  Senor  Presidente.  No  '  manana '  business 
for  me,  if  you  please.  I  want  those  boys  released 
and  in  this  consulate  to-night  ! " 

"  Eempossible.  Aiverybody  on  duty  have  go  to 
bed,  dey  is  asleep." 

"Not  quite  everybody,  your  Excellency.  We  are 
awake ! " 

"  Ah,  dat  ees  so.  You  are  ver'  vide  awake.  Veil, 
geeve  me  ze  pen." 

"Here  is  an  order  ready  written.  I  took  the 
liberty  —  " 


64  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  Um  —  urr !  You  have  take  many  leeberty, 
Sefior  Consool.  But  dis  ees  ze  last ! " 

"  As  you  please,  Senor  Presidente,  so  the  boys  get 
their  liberty  !  " 

"  There,  I  have  sign.  Now,  ven  arrives  de  gun 
boat  ?  " 

"  At  daybreak,  to-morrow,  your  Excellency.  Just 
in  time  to  celebrate  the  boys'  freedom  and  your 
birthday ! " 

"  My  birthday  ?  Ah,  so  eet  ees.  You  have  good 
memory,  Sefior  Consool." 

The  President  was  evidently  touched  by  the  Con 
sul's  thoughtfulness,  and  as  he  rose  to  leave,  he 
added,  "  Amiga  mio  —  my  friend — you  vill  find  ze 
boy  all  right.  Zey  have  been  veil  cared  about. 
Adios.  You  vill  geeve  my  compleement  to  ze  com- 
mandair.  Adios." 


'VELL,  MISSEE  CONSOOL,  VAT  IS  EET  YOU  VANT?'" 


VII. 

How  a  Revolution  was  Averted. 

THERE  was  another  tumult  outside  the  house 
as  the  President  appeared,  mounted  his  horse, 
and  rode  away.  Then  the  noise  subsided,  and  when 
the  crowd  had  gone  the  great  door  of  the  consulate 
was  thrown  open  and  a  little  procession  filed  out.  It 
was  headed  by  the  Consul  and  Vice-consul,  and  closely 
following  them  were  four  servants,  each  pair  bearing 
a  litter,  the  rear-guard  being  constituted  of  the  con 
sular  clerk  and  Sam,  the  office  boy. 

They  took  the  street  leading  direct  to  the  castle, 
and  within  ten  minutes  they  were  at  the  door  of  the 
prison.  As  a  full  moon  shone  in  the  sky,  there  was 
no  need  of  artificial  lights,  and  when  the  new  jailer 
put  his  head  out  in  answer  to  the  summons,  he  saw  at 
a  glance  who  his  visitors  were  and  made  no  protest 
against  their  entrance.  He  took  and  read  the  Presi 
dent's  order,  threw  open  the  door,  and  led  the  way  to 
the  cell  in  which  the  boys  were  sleeping. 

The  Consul  was  cool  and  apparently  unperturbed, 
though  his  heart  was  beating  wildly  for  fear  that  dur 
ing  his  long  absence  something  might  have  happened 
to  the  prisoners.  But  when  he  saw  that  they  were 

65 


66  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

sleeping  quietly  on  beds  of  clean  straw,  and  was  met 
by  the  doctor  whom  he  had  despatched  to  them  in 
the  morning,  he  was  immediately  reassured.  He 
grasped  the  latter's  hand,  and  asked  after  his  patients. 

"They  are  better  than  they  were  when  I  came," 
said  the  doctor,  "and  with  care  will  soon  get  well. 
And  I  am  glad  you  have  come,  not  only  for  their 
sake,  but  my  own,  for  the  air  here  is  very  bad,  and 
the  cell  is  damp." 

"  You  are  very  good  to  stay  by  them,"  said  the  Con 
sul.  "  I  had  hardly  expected  you  to  go  this  length, 
Doctor." 

"  Caramba  !  neither  did  I  intend  to  stay ;  but  the 
fact  is,  I  was  compelled  to.  Lelee  wouldn't  let  me 
out,  — or  his  jailer  wouldn't,  acting  under  his  orders. 
They  say  that  when  he  learned  of  my  visit,  he  raved 
and  tore  like  a  madman.  The  worst  of  it  was  that  I 
had  to  stay  and  be  an  unwilling  witness  to  the  former 
jailer's  execution.  He  was  a  worthless  fellow,  as  we 
all  know,  but  he  had  grit,  and  when  the  sentence  was 
read  to  him,  he  went  along  without  a  word  of  protest. 
He  seemed  to  have  but  one  anxiety,  Consul,  and  that 
was  about  some  money  that,  he  said,  you  owed  him. 
Five  dollars,  I  believe,  which  he  desired  me  to  ask 
you  to  give  his  old  mother.  He  gave  me  a  like  sum, 
and  I  agreed  to  see  that  she  got  it.  Then  he  thanked 
me,  said  good-by,  and  went  off  to  his  death  without 
a  tremor." 

"Poor  fellow!"    said  the  Consul,  sadly.     "There 


How  a  Revolution  was  Averted.         67 

was  good  in  him,  after  all.  I  will  see  that  his  mother 
is  paid  the  money,  and  I  will  also  have  an  eye  to  her 
comfort  hereafter  while  I  am  in  the  city.  Well,  can 
we  take  these  boys  over  to  the  consulate  ? " 

"  Yes,  Consul,  with  care.  They  must  be  taken  out 
of  this  terrible  place,  at  any  rate.  The  elder  of  the 
two  is  not  so  badly  hurt,  but  the  younger  has  suffered 
internal  injury,  I  fear,  and  will  need  much  nursing 
before  he  gets  on  his  feet  again.  There,  now,  bring 
the  litters  up  close  and  we  will  lift  them  on.  Gently, 
my  men,  one  on  each  side.  That's  right ;  now  carry 
them  carefully.  Good !  Ah,  how  glad  I  am  to  get 
out  of  this  vile  den  !  " 

"It  was  hard  for  you,  Doctor,  that's  a  fact  —  to 
make  you  a  prisoner,  too.  If  I  had  not  had  my  hands 
so  full  during  the  day,  I  should  have  looked  you  up ; 
but  that  was  impossible." 

"Oh,  it's  all  right,  I  suppose,"  replied  the  doctor, 
dubiously.  "I  really  don't  mind  the  short  term  of 
imprisonment  at  all ;  but  the  worst  of  it  is  that  Lelee 
now  has  me  marked  for  future  trouble.  He  never 
forgets  a  thing  of  this  sort.  It  is  true,  I  myself 
might  fly  the  country,  but  there  are  wife  and  family 
to  be  considered.  They  would  have  to  suffer  in  my 
place,  and  so  I  shall  stay  and  face  it.  I  fear  — " 

"  Sh ! "  exclaimed  the  Vice-consul,  plucking  the 
doctor  by  the  sleeve ;  "  don't  say  any  more,  every 
word  will  get  to  Lelee  !  "  For  the  consular  clerk  and 
the  jailer  were  listening  with  open  ears,  drinking  in 


68  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

every  word  that  was  said.  The  latter  grinned  as  the 
Consul  dropped  a  couple  of  dollars  into  his  hand,  but 
said  nothing  until  he  had  closed  the  door  upon  the 
party  ;  then  he  muttered  to  himself  :  — 

"They  think  they  have  beaten  Lelee  at  his  own 
game,  but  they  don't  know  Lelee.  Perhaps  I  may 
live  to  see  them  all  here  again,  —  if  /  don't  get  shot. 
Those  boys  will  come  back,  anyway.  When  the 
eagle  gets  after  his  prey  he  won't  let  it  be  taken  away 
without  another  try.  I  pity  the  prey,  that's  all." 
And  he  shook  his  head  menacingly,  as  he  barred  the 
great  door  and  shuffled  off. 

The  little  party  of  rescue  returned  through  the 
silent,  moonlit  streets  to  the  consulate,  arriving  at 
which  the  boys  were  put  to  bed,  given  a  little  light  re 
freshment,  and  told  to  keep  quiet  and  give  themselves 
no  further  uneasiness,  as  they  were  now  in  absolute 
security. 

"  Not  a  word,"  said  the  Consul,  with  a  warning 
shake  of  his  finger,  as  they  tried  to  tell  him  how 
grateful  they  were.  "  Not  a  word.  Go  to  sleep, 
and  show  us  how  glad  you  are  to  be  here  by  getting 
well  as  fast  as  you  can." 

After  the  doctor  had  gone  home  and  the  attendants 
had  been  dismissed,  the  Consul  and  his  trusted  friend, 
Santos,  sat  long  into  the  night  discussing  the  situa 
tion.  "  Well,"  said  the  latter,  after  they  had  been 
left  alone  with  their  lemonade  and  cigars,  "you 
euchred  the  old  gentleman  quite  neatly,  Don  En- 


How  a  Revolution  was  Averted.         69 

rique,  and  he  retired  with  good  grace.  But  you  don't 
for  a  moment  imagine  he  has  given  up  the  fight,  do 
you?" 

"  Not  I,"  replied  the  Consul.  "  In  fact,  I  consider 
the  fight,  as  you  call  it,  only  just  begun.  But  I've 
unmasked  his  batteries,  and  shown  the  weak  points 
in  his  defensive  works,  which  is  something  gained. 
Now,  in  order  to  follow  up  the  advantage,  do  you 
know  what  I  shall  do  next  ?  No  ?  Well,  you  noted 
how  pleased  he  was  that  I  had  remembered  his  birth 
day  ?  That  shows  he  is  not  altogether  bad,  and  I 
have  an  idea  he  can  even  feel  grateful  at  times. 
Now  the  chief  object  in  sending  for  the  warship  is 
already  accomplished  without  her  assistance,  but  we 
have  got  to  invent  some  excuse  for  her  coming  here, 
haven't  we  ?  Yes,  you  know  we  have,  or  else  the 
people  will  get  suspicious,  then  excited,  and  the 
first  thing  Lelee  knows  he  will  have  a  first-class 
revolution  on  his  hands.  And  he  knows  it,  too ;  so 
I  am  going  to  help  him  out  of  the  difficulty  by  turn 
ing  the  whole  affair  into  a  grand  demonstration  in 
his  honor !  It  will  be  given  out  to-morrow  that  the 
warship  has  come  over  to  salute  one  whom  my  gov 
ernment  delights  to  honor,  don't  you  see  ?  That  is, 
there  will  be  a  grand  salute  in  the  morning,  a  parade 
in  the  afternoon,  and  a  ball  at  night,  —  all  on  account 
of  the  President's  birthday  !  How  is  that  ?  " 

"  Well,  Don  Enrique,  I  always  thought  you  were 
cut  out  for  a  diplomat ;  but,  by  my  kingdom,  you 


70  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

ought  to  be  a  minister  plenipotentiary  at  a  European 
court.  But  have  you  counted  the  cost  of  the  thing  ? 
It  will  be  just  awful ! " 

"I  know,"  rejoined  the  Consul,  with  a  sigh.  "It 
will  cost  something,  but  I  don't  see  any  other  way 
out  of  it.  It's  the  penalty  I  must  pay  for  my  rash 
ness  in  sending  for  the  ship.  I  might  just  as  well 
have  carried  the  affair  through  single-handed,  per 
haps.  And  the  bother  of  it  all  is  that  I've  already 
spent  my  year's  salary.  Uncle  Sam  is  a  niggardly 
old  fellow  when  it  comes  to  salaries,  you  know." 

"  Don't  I,  though  ?  He  is  the  meanest,  most  parsi 
monious  employer  on  the  face  of  the  earth.  And 
there  is  no  need,  either ;  he  might  just  as  well  be 
generous.  But  he  never  will  be,  I  fear." 

The  Vice-consul  spoke  feelingly,  for  he  was  doing 
work  for  which  any  other  employer  than  "  Uncle  Sam  " 
would  have  paid  him  liberally,  and  receiving  merely  a 
pittance.  So  he,  too,  sighed,  and  they  both  indulged 
in  a  long,  sympathetic  smoke  before  trusting  them 
selves  to  speech  again,  for  the  subject  was  a  very 
tender  one  to  broach. 

"  Still,  I  couldn't  have  done  less  than  I  have,"  said 
the  Consul,  musingly.  "  The  cost  is  nothing,  com 
pared  with  the  result  achieved." 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  said  the  Vice-consul,  reassuringly. 
"Those  young  countrymen  of  yours  are  nice-looking 
boys  and  far  too  good  to  be  served  up  on  the  altar 
of  Lelee's  unholy  ambitions.  I  wonder  what  he  has 


How  a  Revolution  was  Averted.         71 

against  them,  by  the  way  ?  They  couldn't  be  guilty 
of  the  crimes  he  imputes  to  them  ?  One  look  at 
their  faces  tells  me  that.  They  have  good,  whole 
some  countenances,  honest  as  daylight ;  and  it  would 
be  actually  impossible  for  either  of  them  to  commit 
a  wrong,  I  am  sure." 

"  You  are  right,  Santos.  A  pair  of  cleaner,  purer- 
minded  young  men  I  have  never  met.  Just  how 
they  incurred  Lelee's  wrath  I  don't  know,  but  prob 
ably  they  have  thwarted  some  pet  scheme  of  his  or 
have  discovered  something  he  doesn't  want  the  pub 
lic  to  know.  We  will  catechize  them  to-morrow,  if 
they  are  well  enough  to  stand  the  ordeal,  and  find 
out  what  the  matter  is.  Meanwhile,  Santos,  mio, 
don't  you  think  we  had  better  seek  our  beds  and 
prepare  for  the  morrow  ?  I  suppose  you  have  your 
man  on  the  watch  for  the  warship,  so  that  we  may 
be  prepared  to  receive  her  without  delay.  Yes  ? 
Well,  then,  good  night.  Come  around  early  in  the 
morning." 

Now  that  the  two  friends  have  retired,  and  while 
they  are  sleeping,  it  might  be  well  to  take  advantage 
of  this  lull  in  the  storm  to  transport  ourselves  out 
to  sea,  where  we  can  watch  for  the  coming  of  the 
Capricornia.  For  she  is  coming,  of  course,  as  the 
Consul  had  the  word  of  her  commander  that  she 
would  come,  without  delay.  And  when  Commander 
Davis  of  the  Capriccrnia  gave  his  word,  either  ver 
bally  or  by  cable,  rest  assured  that  it  would  be  honored. 


72  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Imagine  yourselves,  then,  at  a  point  on  the  south 
coast  of  Santo  Domingo  between  the  island  of  Saona 
and  the  river  Ozama,  time  about  three  in  the  morn 
ing,  weather  clear,  sky  starlit,  and  a  waning  moon 
just  dropping  down  behind  the  land  where  it  showed 
black  against  the  sky.  The  great  engines  of  the 
ship  are  pulsating  slowly,  a  cloud  of  black  smoke  is 
trailing  behind  the  stacks,  and  the  waves  are  swish 
ing  gently  against  the  bow.  On  deck  there  are 
watchers  in  various  parts,  and  on  the  bridge  is  the 
commander  himself,  consulting  with  his  sailing-mas 
ter  as  to  their  exact  location. 

"We  ought  to  see  Ozama  light  very  soon,  sir," 
said  the  sailing-master  ;  "  for  we  are  now  off  Macoris, 
and  the  distance  beyond  isn't  great.  Ah,  there  she 
is,  sir,  just  twinkling  off  the  weather  bow  ;  now  we 
can  head  her  up  a  bit,  sir,  if  you  say  so." 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Jones,  bring  her  up  a  trifle.  The 
shore  is  clean  about  here,  I  believe,  and  there  are  no 
reefs  or  shoals.  But  we  will  keep  her  on  half-speed, 
all  the  same,  so  as  to  fetch  off  the  mouth  of  the 
river  by  daylight." 

Just  at  that  moment  an  officer  came  up,  saluted 
his  superior,  and  reported:  "Small  boat,  sir,  just 
abeam.  Seems  to  want  to  speak  us,  near  as  I  can 
make  out,  sir." 

The  commander  looked  in  the  direction  indicated 
through  his  night-glass,  then  reached  out  and  pulled 
the  signal  to  the  engineer  :  "  Slow  up !  "  The  bell 


How  a  Revolution  was  Averted.         73 

tinkled  far  below,  down  where  the  furnace  fires  were 
roaring  and  the  heat  was  something  terrific ;  where 
the  reeking  stokers,  stripped  to  the  waist,  were 
shovelling  coal  beneath  the  boilers,  and  the  alert 
engineer  was  standing  at  his  post.  The  great  en 
gines  throbbed  more  slowly,  and  finally  almost  came 
to  a  standstill,  as  the  engineer  threw  over  the  levers, 
in  obedience  to  the  commander's  signal. 

"  Ahoy  the  ship  ! "  came  up  from  the  small  boat 
dancing  on  the  swell  caused  by  the  steamer's  pro 
peller. 

"  Ahoy  below  !     What  is  it  ? " 

"  I'm  the  cable  operator  at  the  city,  come  off  to 
warn  you  that  a  revolution  has  broken  out  there ; 
American  Consul  in  jail,  and  a  bobbery  kicked  up 
generally.  With  your  permission,  Commodore,  I'd 
like  to  go  aboard." 


VIII. 

All  on  Account  of  "  Old  Glory:' 

'  yt  LL  right,  come  aboard.  Officer,  clear  the 
2~jL  gangway.  Throw  the  man  a  rope.  Drop 
his  boat  astern.  There  you  are.  Now  what  is  it  ? " 
The  cable  operator  scrambled  up  the  rope  ladder 
that  was  thrown  over  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  as 
soon  as  he  reached  the  rail  was  assisted  over  and 
marched  up  to  the  bridge,  where,  in  answer  to  the 
last  question,  he  told  his  story :  how  he  had  received 
a  message  over  the  wire  from  the  Vice-consul,  etc., 
all  of  which  we  know.  Having  already  had  a  taste 
of  Lelee's  methods,  and  having  been  once  in  peril  of 
his  life  through  misplaced  confidence  in  the  Presi 
dent,  he  had  acted  promptly  on  the  Consul's  advice 
to  get  out,  and  after  briefly  informing  his  fellow- 
operator  in  Porto  Rico  of  his  intention,  had  locked 
the  door  of  his  hut,  borrowed  a  boat,  and  set  himself 
adrift  in  the  supposed  path  of  the  ship.  That  was 
all  he  could  tell,  and  the  commander  was  as  mystified 
as  ever,  so  he  knew  not  whether  to  clear  ship  for 
action,  or  sail  in  cautiously  and  land  for  orders.  He 
chose  the  latter  course,  however,  and  soon  after  day 
light  the  loungers  about  the  wharves  saw  a  gallant 

74 


All  on  Account  of  "  Old  Glory."         75 

ship  of  the  United  States  Navy  steam  slowly  up  the 
river,  anchor  off  the  castle,  and  send  a  boat  ashore 
filled  with  marines.  The  boat  was  commanded  by 
an  experienced  officer,  and  the  marines  were  armed 
to  the  teeth. 

"  Seems  quiet  enough  on  shore  just  now,  lieuten 
ant,"  said  the  officer  to  his  assistant,  as  they  neared 
the  wharf.  "  There  is  nothing  in  sight  we  can't  take 
care  of,  anyway;  so  we'll  go  slowly.  Have  the  bow 
gun  ready,  but  don't  make  any  demonstration." 

"  Give  me  half  a  dozen  men,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
"and  Til  take  a  stroll  up  to  the  consulate.  If 
they've  got  any  big  guns  trained  on  us,  they  aren't 
visible, — that's  sure.  And  come  to  think  of  it,  I 
don't  believe  there's  a  gun  on  the  island  big  enough 
to  knock  the  legs  off  an  iron  pot ;  or  if  there  is,  it  has 
been  purchased  and  mounted  since  we  were  here 
last.  Here  we  are." 

"  Stern  all !  Tumble  out,  men.  That's  enough. 
Form  in  loose  order  and  look  lively.  Line  up,  there. 
Forward  march.  Hello,  there  comes  Don  Santos, 
the  Vice-consul.  Know  him  well.  Good  fellow,  too. 
Look  here,  Santos,  what's  the  row  about  ?  Thought 
you  were  in  jail." 

"Not  I,"  replied  Santos.  "It's  all  a  mistake. 
But  we  are  glad  you  came,  just  the  same.  Lelee  had 
us  at  a  disadvantage,  as  he  thought,  but  we  practised 
a  bit  of  strategy  on  him,  and  here  we  are  —  or  at 
least  here  I  am — and  the  Consul  is  safe  in  his  office." 


7 6  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  That's  good,  so  far ;  but  hope  you  didn't  send 
for  us  on  a  wild  goose  chase.  The  '  old  man '  will 
be  wrathy,  I  tell  you.  It's  no  joke,  you  know,  get 
ting  up  steam  and  leaving  a  good  port  like  Ponce  to 
come  over  into  this  infernal  roadstead.  If  a  sou'- 
west  wind  comes  up  the  sea  is  mighty  nasty,  let  me 
tell  you." 

"  Right  you  are,  sir.  But  we  didn't  intend  any 
thing  out  of  the  way.  Wouldn't  have  cabled  you 
without  a  cause,  surely."  Then  Santos  told  the 
officer  all  about  the  trouble,  and  he  was  mollified  so 
far  as  to  agree  with  the  Vice-consul  that  perhaps  they 
had  done  the  best  they  could,  under  the  circum 
stances.  He  sent  the  boat  back  with  a  report  to 
the  commander,  accepted  an  invitation  from  Santos 
to  join  him  and  his  superior  at  breakfast  at  the  con 
sulate,  and  the  two  walked  off  together,  arm  in  arm. 

It  would  take  too  much  space  to  narrate  in  detail 
all  the  eventful  happenings  of  that  day.  How  the 
Consul  made  a  formal  call  on  the  commander,  how 
the  commander  made  a  formal  call  on  the  Con 
sul,  and  then  both  together  made  a  formal  visit  to 
the  palace,  after  which  Lelee  and  his  cabinet  all 
went  aboard  the  warship,  while  the  guns  roared  a 
President's  salute,  which  was  returned  with  an  ad 
miral's  salute  from  the  rusty  old  cannon  mounted  on 
the  castle  walls.  It  was,  as  the  Vice-consul  remarked, 
all  "honey  and  hug,"  the  whole  day  through,  and 
the  ceremonials,  the  salutes,  the  festivities  in  general, 


All  on  Account  of  "  Old  Glory."         77 

and  the  ball  at  night  in  honor  of  Lelee's  birthday  in 
particular,  all  went  to  show  the  islanders  what  a 
truly  great  man  their  President  was  —  in  the  estima 
tion  of  the  outside  powers,  and  served  to  strengthen 
his  hold  on  them  more  than  any  amount  of  bluster 
and  proclamations  could  have  done.  He  was  not 
slow  to  perceive  this,  either,  and  was  very  gracious 
to  the  Consul  and  his  staff,  even  going  so  far  as  to 
hint  that  an  apology  would  be  forthcoming  for  his 
acts ;  but  he  rather  resented  the  suggestion  that  com 
pensation  in  the  form  of  a  substantial  indemnity  was 
due  the  victims  of  his  malice.  The  Consul  consulted 
with  the  boys  about  this,  and  told  them  that  if  they 
but  gave  the  word  he  would  enforce  a  claim  for 
indemnity  then  and  there,  as  after  the  warship  was 
gone  they  might  just  as  well  whistle  for  the  wind. 
But  they  were  both  opposed  to  such  a  proceeding, 
declaring  that  all  they  wanted  was  to  be  let  alone 
and  allowed  the  privilege  of  roaming  over  the  island 
at  will.  "If  we  can  only  carry  out  our  scheme," 
said  the  elder  of  the  two,  "  we  can  get  all  the  com 
pensation  we  want,  and  shall  be  perfectly  satisfied." 

The  Consul  did  not  press  them,  and  though  he  was 
curious  to  know  the  nature  of  their  mission,  which 
they  were  so  confident  would  be  so  remunerative,  he 
did  not  say  any  more  at  that  time.  He  had  all  he 
wanted  to  do,  in  fact,  in  attending  to  the  business  of 
the  day  :  in  entertaining  his  numerous  guests,  in  set 
ting  the  great  ball  in  motion,  and  finally  in  pacifying 


7  8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  commander,  who  was  at  first  disposed  to  resent 
being  called  upon  to  appear  in  the  role  of  intermedi 
ary  in  such  a  small  affair,  as  he  regarded  it.  After 
the  ball  was  over  and,  with  a  few  of  his  officers,  he 
revisited  the  consulate  for  a  parting  chat  before  going 
on  board  his  ship,  he  said  to  the  Consul :  — 

"  Well,  Mr.  Garland,  you  have  used  us  as  your 
cat's-paw  to  draw  these  Yankee  chestnuts  out  of  the 
fire ;  but  it  was  hardly  fair  in  you  to  cable  us  such 
an  alarming  message,  it  appears  to  me." 

"Alarming  message,  sir?  Well,  I  don't  know.  I 
merely  cabled  the  exact  state  of  affairs  as  it  seemed 
to  me  then." 

"  Yes  ?  Did  you,  though  ?  Why,  according  to  the 
code  words,  you  had  yourself  and  the  Vice-consul  in 
jail,  a  revolution  raging,  and  the  deuce  to  pay  gen 
erally." 

"What?  No.  Here,  Sam,  bring  me  the  code- 
book.  There  now,  here  are  the  words:  'Bismuth, 
bicarbonate,  bobolink,  Bulgaria.'  " 

"  Which,  being  interpreted,  mean :  '  A  revolution 
is  raging,  all  Americans  in  jail,  hasten  quickly  or 
may  be  too  late,  in  imminent  peril ! ' "  roared  the 
commander,  ending  up  his  indictment  with  a  peal 
of  laughter  in  which  all  present,  even  the  discom 
fited  Consul,  had  to  join. 

"I  believe  you  are  right,"  he  admitted;  "but  to 
tell  the  truth,  things  were  coming  to  a  climax  so  fast, 
I  may  not  have  stopped  to  pick  my  words." 


All  on  Account  of  "  Old  Glory."         79 

"It's  'one  on  you'  —  or  rather  on  us,"  interjected 
the  Vice-consul. 

"  That's  what  it  is,"  rejoined  the  commander.  "  But 
no  matter.  It  would  have  been  my  duty  to  come 
over  if  things  hadn't  been  half  so  bad  as  you  made 
them  out.  An  American's  life  was  in  jeopardy,  — 
that  was  enough  ;  and  if  the  distance  had  been  ten 
times  as  great,  I  should  have  done  my  best  to  be 
on  time.  What's  the  good  of  a  navy,  anyway,  if  it 
is  not  to  be  used  to  enforce  respect  for  the  flag,  in 
whatever  portion  of  the  globe  it  may  float  ?  Why, 
it  was  not  long  ago  that  even  little  Chile,  down  in 
South  America,  took  a  notion  to  insult  it,  and  there 
were  some  Americans  who  advised  letting  her  fume ; 
and  the  result  was  that  our  sailors  were  attacked  and 
some  of  them  killed.  By  promptly  despatching  a 
few  warships  down  that  way,  the  arrogant  little 
republic  was  brought  to  her  senses,  and  she  has 
been  quite  civil  ever  since.  No,  gentlemen ;  the 
Consul  made  no  mistake.  He  is  here  to  protect  his 
countrymen  in  need  of  protection ;  we  are  here  to 
enforce  his  demands.  He  did  just  right ! " 

"Three  cheers  for  Consul  Garland!"  spoke  up  a 
junior  officer.  All  present  rose  and  were  about  to 
give  them,  when  the  Consul  raised  his  hand,  request 
ing  a  moment's  silence. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I  am  deeply  touched  by 
the  remarks  of  our  commander,  and  feel  greatly 
flattered  that  he  should  approve  my  course.  But, 


8o  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

gentlemen,  I  am  only  a  servant  of  that  great  Repub 
lic  which  we  all  have  the  honor  to  serve.  It  is  a 
blessed  privilege,  I  feel,  merely  to  be  an  American, 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States ;  and,  above  all,  it  is 
a  glorious  thing  to  assist  in  upholding  the  prestige 
of  the  flag.  Gentlemen,  I  propose  three  cheers  for 
'Old  Glory.'  May  its  galaxy  of  stars  shine  on  un- 
dimmed  forever ! " 

Three  thunderous  cheers  were  given  that  nearly 
"raised  the  roof,"  and  after  that  more  toasts  were 
proposed,  and  more  friendships  cemented,  until,  by 
the  time  the  visitors  were  ready  to  return  to  their 
ship,  the  morning  star  had  risen  and  another  day 
had  dawned. 

Before  they  left,  Commander  Davis  drew  the  Con 
sul  aside  and  asked  if  he  could  see  his  protege's,  who 
had  been  the  cause  of  his  coming  to  the  island. 

"Of  course,"  replied  the  Consul.  "They  are  not 
out  of  bed  yet,  on  account  of  the  mauling  they  got 
in  the  castle •;  but  it  isn't  likely  they  have  slept 
much  through  all  this  noise.  You  ought  to  see 
them,  certainly,  for  without  you  and  your  ship  as 
lever  and  fulcrum,  it  is  hardly  possible  I  should  have 
been  able  to  pry  the  President  off  his  high  and  lofty 
perch.  Come  upstairs,  and  we  will  have  a  short 
talk  with  them." 

The  Consul  was  right  in  the  surmise  that  his 
patients  had  not  slept  through  the  tumult  going  on 
below,  and  he  found  them  wide  awake,  their  eyes 


All  on  Account  of  "Old  Glory."         81 

shining  with  excitement.  They  were  overjoyed  at 
meeting  the  commander,  and  he  expressed  pleasure 
at  having  been  of  assistance  to  them  in  their  emer 
gency  ;  but  when,  in  the  midst  of  their  thanks,  he 
offered  to  take  them  on  board  his  ship  and  give  them 
free  transportation  back  to  the  United  States,  they 
positively,  though  politely,  refused  to  avail  them 
selves  of  it. 

"We  wouldn't  go  back,"  said  the  elder  —  and  the 
younger  nodded  assent  — "  if  you  were  to  offer  us 
the  ship !  We  have  come  down  here  for  a  certain 
purpose,  and  we  intend  to  stay  until  it  is  accom 
plished.  That  is,"  he  added,  looking  shyly  at  the 
Consul,  "  if  the  good  friend  who  saved  our  lives  does 
not  interpose  his  veto  to  our  plans." 

"Not  I,"  declared  the  Consul.  "You  shall  stay 
as  long  as  you  like,  shall  go  wherever  you  like,  and 
can  count  on  me  for  assistance  whenever  you  get 
into  another  tight  place,  as  I  have  no  doubt  you  will, 
soon  as  you  can.  But  one  thing  is  certain  :  You 
won't  get  away  into  the  mountains  again  in  a  hurry, 
let  me  tell  you." 

"  What  ? "  asked  the  boys,  in  unison.  "  Who  told 
you  we  had  been  in  the  mountains  ? "  They  appeared 
more  disturbed  by  this  remark  of  their  friend  than 
by  all  the  events  of  the  preceding  weeks  of  terror. 

"  Sh  — !  Don't  get  excited,  my  boys.  Perhaps 
a  little  bird  told  me.  Perhaps,  again,  I  have  the 
missing  clew  for  which  you  were  searching  when 


82  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Lelee's  minions  overtook  and  arrested  you.  Anyway, 
we  will  work  together,  when  you  have  recovered  — 
that  is,  if  you  will  allow  me  to  be  silent  partner  and 
accept  a  little  advice  now  and  then.  I  shan't  charge 
anything  for  my  services.  But  all  in  good  time,  my 
lads.  Don't  worry.  To-morrow  we  will  have  a  good, 
long  talk.  Till  then,  rest." 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  perplexed  and  mys 
tified.  Had  the  Consul  guessed  their  secret  ?  They 
could  not  believe  it ;  at  the  same  time  they  feared 
he  had.  But  his  cheery  smile  reassured  them,  as 
he  and  the  commander  took  their  departure,  the 
latter  after  a  warm  pressure  of  their  hands  and  reit 
erating  his  offer  of  service  if  they  should  ever  need 
him  again.  "  Don't  hesitate  to  call  on  the  Consul 
for  help,  and  he  will  send  for  me  at  once.  He  has 
a  cable  code  warranted  to  fetch  me  every  time.  Eh, 
Consul  ? "  he  added,  giving  that  worthy  a  slap  on  the 
shoulder. 

"I  hope  you  don't  think  I  did  it  just  for  fun," 
retorted  the  Consul,  with  a  wry  face,  as  he  thought 
of  the  dreadful  havoc  the  warship's  coming  had 
made  with  his  salary. 

"Not  at  all;  not  at  all,"  rejoined  the  commander; 
"I  know  better.  But  good-by ;  we're  off." 

In  another  hour  the  Capricornia  was  out  on  the 
open  sea. 


IX. 

How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered. 

THE  week  that  followed  the  advent  and  depar 
ture  of  the  warship  was  remarkably  quiet,  and 
no  one  would  have  imagined  that  only  the  week 
before  the  capital  was  trembling  on  the  brink  of  a 
revolution.  There  was  no  noticeable  difference  in 
the  attitude  of  the  people  toward  the  Consul,  except 
ing  that  they  treated  him  with  increased  respect.  It 
had  got  about,  somehow,  that  he  had  brought  the 
hitherto  invincible  Lelee  to  his  knees,  had  beaten 
him  out  and  out  in  a  little  game  of  diplomacy,  as  well 
as  forced  his  hand  when  it  came  to  an  appeal  to 
arms. 

That  was  what  caused  the  difference  in  their  be 
havior,  for  they  had,  up  to  that  time,  considered  their 
great  President  as  the  biggest  man  in  the  world.  As 
their  government  had  never  been  attacked  by  an  out 
side  power  —  that  is,  within  the  memory  of  any  living 
persons  —  and  as  Lelee  had  given  out  that  he  and 
his  army  could  "  conquer  the  world "  without  half 
trying,  they  had  firmly  believed  him.  They  still 
clung  to  the  belief  that  the  outside  barbarians  would 
have  a  difficult  proposition  should  they  ever  attack 

83 


84  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

their  brave  nation  ;  but  it  tickled  their  fancy,  just  the 
same,  to  find  their  despotic  ruler  humiliated. 

As  for  the  President,  he  also  held  his  foe  to  be 
more  worthy  of  his  admiration,  and  as  the  latter  had 
salved  his  wounds  with  fulsome  flattery,  he  had  no 
grudge  against  him.  The  Consul  still  held  posses 
sion  of  his  one-time  prisoners,  to  be  sure,  and  he 
knew  they  would  never  be  given  into  his  keep  again 
without  a  struggle.  It  would  be  vain  for  him  to 
attempt  to  match  him  with  force,  for  the  Consul's 
reserves  were  too  strong.  So  he  set  his  wits  to  work 
—  and  he  had  a  full  measure  of  cunning  in  his  com 
position  —  to  compass  the  dearest  desire  of  his  heart  : 
the  destruction  of  these  two  boys,  whom  he  chose  to 
consider  his  enemies. 

It  is  impossible  to  account  for  his  hallucination, — 
of  course  it  was  nothing  else,  —  for  an  evil  man's 
heart  is  inscrutable  in  its  workings.  When  once  the 
devil  has  possession  of  a  man,  there  is  no  knowing 
what  deeps  of  iniquity  he  will  fathom  to  accomplish 
his  unhallowed  purposes.  At  this  stage  of  the  story 
his  reasons  have  not  disclosed  themselves  ;  but  per 
haps  they  may  develop  later.  Of  this  much  we  may 
be  certain,  he  would  not  rest  until  he  had  again  re- 
ensnared  his  prey ;  and  though  he  pretended  to  have 
overlooked  what  had  transpired,  nothing  was  farther 
from  his  thoughts  than  that. 

But  the  boys  were  for  the  time  safe  from  harm,  in 
the  care  of  one  who  had  shown  himself  resourceful 


How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered.      85 

and  alert ;  so  it  will  not  be  necessary  to  concern  our 
selves  with  their  arch-enemy's  scheming,  but  to  attend 
more  closely  to  their  immediate  fortunes.  During 
the  week,  they  had  fully  recovered  their  strength,  and 
seemed  but  little  the  worse  for  their  misadventure. 
And  when  they  were  on  their  legs  again  and  able  to 
get  about,  the  Consul  sprang  upon  them  a  surprise 
he  had  been  preparing  during  their  convalescence. 

They  had  held  many  conversations  together  in  the 
week  previous,  and  between  them  had  grown  up  a 
mutual  confidence.  But  there  was  yet  a  certain 
reserve,  something  the  boys  refused  to  divulge,  re 
specting  their  motive  in  coming  to  the  island  and 
what  they  expected  to  do  when  they  were  well  enough 
to  leave  the  Consul's  hospitable  dwelling.  They 
talked  freely  enough  of  their  home  and  the  few 
friends  they  had  left  there,  and  the  Consul  had 
learned  that,  like  himself,  they  were  natives  of  New 
England,  Americans  by  right  of  birth  and  a  pretty 
long  line  of  ancestry. 

The  name  of  the  elder  boy  was  Arthur,  and  the 
younger,  Hartley,  Strong.  Their  parents  were  dead, 
and  they  had  been  left  when  quite  young  to  fight 
life's  battle  unaided.  Arthur  was  eighteen  and  his 
brother  sixteen  years  of  age ;  but  from  having  been 
thrown  upon  their  own  resources  and  thrust  forth  into 
the  world  to  battle  for  a  living  very  early  in  life,  they 
had  an  air  of  manliness  and  self-reliance  beyond  their 
years. 


86  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

It  may  have  been  owing  to  this  habit  they  had 
acquired  of  self-dependence  that  they  were  so  re 
served,  for  surely  they  had  no  reason  to  distrust  one 
who,  like  the  Consul,  had  proved  their  friend  at  a 
time  when  they  most  stood  in  need  of  one.  But 
though  they  chatted  quite  freely  of  their  home  life, 
the  Consul  could  never  bring  them  to  talk  of  their 
adventures  since  leaving  the  land  of  their  birth.  He 
had  no  mere  curiosity  as  to  this  matter,  but  —  as  the 
sequel  will  divulge  —  was  rather  amused  by  their 
reticence,  and  only  persisted  in  his  attempts  to  make 
them  betray  their  secret  because  he  held  it  himself. 

This  was  the  surprise  he  had  in  store  for  them, 
and  at  the  proper  time  he  let  it  out.  They  were  all 
seated  on  the  back  veranda  of  the  consulate,  near  the 
close  of  a  very  hot  day,  watching  some  birds  playing 
in  the  waters  of  a  fountain  in  the  court.  A  great 
group  of  bananas  sent  broad  pennons  up  into  the  air 
in  a  corner  of  the  court.  The  cocoa  palms  held  their 
rigid  leaves  almost  motionless,  awaiting  the  coming 
of  the  evening  breeze,  and  all  nature  breathed  of 
peace  and  beauty.  The  boys  were  admiring  the  scene 
before  them,  their  attention  being  divided  between 
the  birds  plashing  in  the  fountain  basin,  the  beautiful 
bananas  and  palms,  and  the  ruined  walls  of  an  ancient 
monastery,  behind  which  the  sun  was  sinking  into 
the  sea. 

At  last  the  Consul  spoke:  "My  boys,  I  have  a 
little  story  to  tell !  It  may  be  true,  or  merely  a  ro- 


How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered.       87 

mance,  but  you  shall  judge.  A  few  weeks  ago,  it 
may  have  been  a  month,  or  two  months,  —  that 
doesn't  matter,  —  two  young  men  were  landed  on  the 
north  coast  of  this  island,  from  a  Yankee  schooner 
that  had  come  down  here  to  trade  off  codfish  and 
lumber  for  mahogany  and  tobacco.  They  were 
dropped  off,  I  was  told,  at  or  near  the  ruined  city  of 
Isabella,  where  Columbus  founded  the  first  European 
settlement  in  America,  in  1493.  Whether  their  in 
centive  was  sentiment,  or  a  desire  for  historical  infor 
mation,  I  do  not  know  ;  but  my  informant  said  it  was 
both,  and  also  a  hope  of  finding  concealed  treasure, 
or  a  gold  mine  of  some  sort.  However  that  may  be, 
they  spent  more  than  a  week  at  that  spot,  and 
ransacked  the  ruins  thoroughly  in  search  of  whatever 
they  expected  to  find,  then  set  off  for  the  interior  of 
the  island. 

"But  what  is  the  matter?  You  are  both  pale  as 
ghosts.  Are  you  feeling  ill  again  ?  No  ?  Then 
shall  I  proceed  ?  Very  well.  These  young  men  — 
mere  boys,  in  fact,  inexperienced  and  knowing  very 
little  of  the  island  or  the  language  spoken  here  — 
started  boldly  for  the  mountains  which  they  saw  from 
the  coast.  They  had  a  stock  of  provisions  which 
they  carried  in  knapsacks  on  their  backs,  a  gold- 
miner's  outfit,  a  gun,  revolvers,  hatchet,  and  of  course 
a  jack-knife  apiece  —  being  Yankee  boys  —  and  I  sup 
pose  some  money  for  necessary  expenses.  But  they 
had  no  guide  of  any  sort,  except  an  old  book,  a  his- 


88  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

tory  or  biography,  or  something  of  that  kind,  which 
they  seemed  to  think  was  going  to  lead  them  straight 
to  the  ancient  gold  mines  of  Cibao,  for  which  Colum 
bus  was  always  looking.  A  good  many  natives  saw 
them,  but  as  they  were  regarded  merely  as  crazy  men 
they  did  not  molest  them,  that  being  against  their 
principles.  Finally  they  reached  the  mountains,  and 
passed  over  the  very  trail  made  by  Columbus  and  his 
army  when  they  searched  for  the  golden  country  four 
hundred  years  ago.  It  is  called  the  Hidalgo's  Pass, 
because  the  road  through  it  was  opened  by  the  noble 
men  and  soldiers  of  high  degree  who  came  out  with 
Columbus,  you  know.  Perhaps  you  may  have  seen  it, 
and—" 

"  Consul,  what  do  you  mean  by  this  ?  Where  did 
you  get  all  this  information  about  us  ? "  It  was 
Arthur  who  spoke,  or  else  it  was  Hartley,  or  both 
together  ;  but,  anyway,  both  rose  to  their  feet  and 
looked  at  their  friend  in  great  astonishment  and  much 
confusion. 

"  About  you,  my  dear  boys  ?  Who  said  this  story 
was  to  be  about  you  ?  Why,  you  haven't  told  me  a 
single  thing  respecting  what  happened  to  you  since 
you  landed  here.  How  could  the  story  concern  you, 
anyway  ? " 

"  Why,  it  —  it  —  seems  very  queer,  Consul;  but 
go  on,"  faltered  Arthur. 

"  I  will,  if  you  will  not  interrupt  me  again.  Well, 
as  I  was  saying,  these  two  boys  went  through  the 


How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered.      89 

Hidalgo's  Pass  into  the  valley  of  the  Yaqui,  which  is 
the  very  river,  by  the  way,  in  which  Columbus  found 
the  first  gold  ever  taken  from  America  to  Spain. 
Some  of  it,  in  fact,  adorns  some  pictures  in  an  old 
monastery  at  Burgos,  and  it  is  said  that  a  portion  of 
it  was  used  in  illuminating  Queen  Isabella's  missal, 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  city  of  Granada.  But  excuse 
me  these  digressions ;  as  you  seem  interested  in  the 
tale,  I  will  hasten  to  the  end  of  it.  In  short,  these 
two  young  rascals  went  on  up  the  valley  of  the  Rio  del 
Oro — as  the  Spaniards  called  it,  the  River  of  Gold  — 
and  having  reached  a  point  in  the  hills  near  its  head 
waters,  they  branched  off  on  a  tributary  and  brought 
up  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  first  fort  ever  erected  in 
the  mountains  for  guarding  the  gold  regions  against 
the  Indians.  It  was  called  Santo  Tomas,  and  was  at 
one  time  defended  by  that  hair-brained  adventurer, 
Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  who  had  a  pretty  time  holding  out 
against  Caonabo,  the  Cacique  of  the  Golden  Moun 
tains,  as  he  was  called. 

"  Dear  me,  there  I  go  again,  switching  off  into  his 
torical  subjects;  but  you  see  I  am  deeply  interested 
in  them  and  have  been  over  most  of  the  ground.  In 
fact,  boys,  I  have  hunted  for  those  same  gold-fields 
that  you  —  I  mean  they  —  barely  missed  discovering. 
Wait,  now,"  protested  the  Consul,  as  both  boys  sprang 
to  their  feet  with  questions  quivering  on  their  lips. 
"  I  know  what  you  want  to  ask.  You  want  to  know 
how  it  was  you  missed  the  golden  treasure.  I  mean, 


88  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

tory  or  biography,  or  something  of  that  kind,  which 
they  seemed  to  think  was  going  to  lead  them  straight 
to  the  ancient  gold  mines  of  Cibao,  for  which  Colum 
bus  was  always  looking.  A  good  many  natives  saw 
them,  but  as  they  were  regarded  merely  as  crazy  men 
they  did  not  molest  them,  that  being  against  their 
principles.  Finally  they  reached  the  mountains,  and 
passed  over  the  very  trail  made  by  Columbus  and  his 
army  when  they  searched  for  the  golden  country  four 
hundred  years  ago.  It  is  called  the  Hidalgo's  Pass, 
because  the  road  through  it  was  opened  by  the  noble 
men  and  soldiers  of  high  degree  who  came  out  with 
Columbus,  you  know.  Perhaps  you  may  have  seen  it, 
and—" 

"  Consul,  what  do  you  mean  by  this  ?  Where  did 
you  get  all  this  information  about  us  ? "  It  was 
Arthur  who  spoke,  or  else  it  was  Hartley,  or  both 
together  ;  but,  anyway,  both  rose  to  their  feet  and 
looked  at  their  friend  in  great  astonishment  and  much 
confusion. 

"  About  you,  my  dear  boys  ?  Who  said  this  story 
was  to  be  about  you  ?  Why,  you  haven't  told  me  a 
single  thing  respecting  what  happened  to  you  since 
you  landed  here.  How  could  the  story  concern  you, 
anyway  ? " 

"Why,  it  —  it  —  seems  very  queer,  Consul;  but 
go  on,"  faltered  Arthur. 

"  I  will,  if  you  will  not  interrupt  me  again.  Well, 
as  I  was  saying,  these  two  boys  went  through  the 


How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered.      89 

Hidalgo's  Pass  into  the  valley  of  the  Yaqui,  which  is 
the  very  river,  by  the  way,  in  which  Columbus  found 
the  first  gold  ever  taken  from  America  to  Spain. 
Some  of  it,  in  fact,  adorns  some  pictures  in  an  old 
monastery  at  Burgos,  and  it  is  said  that  a  portion  of 
it  was  used  in  illuminating  Queen  Isabella's  missal, 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  city  of  Granada.  But  excuse 
me  these  digressions ;  as  you  seem  interested  in  the 
tale,  I  will  hasten  to  the  end  of  it.  In  short,  these 
two  young  rascals  went  on  up  the  valley  of  the  Rio  del 
Oro — as  the  Spaniards  called  it,  the  River  of  Gold  — 
and  having  reached  a  point  in  the  hills  near  its  head 
waters,  they  branched  off  on  a  tributary  and  brought 
up  on  or  near  the  site  of  the  first  fort  ever  erected  in 
the  mountains  for  guarding  the  gold  regions  against 
the  Indians.  It  was  called  Santo  Tomas,  and  was  at 
one  time  defended  by  that  hair-brained  adventurer, 
Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  who  had  a  pretty  time  holding  out 
against  Caonabo,  the  Cacique  of  the  Golden  Moun 
tains,  as  he  was  called. 

"  Dear  me,  there  I  go  again,  switching  off  into  his 
torical  subjects;  but  you  see  I  am  deeply  interested 
in  them  and  have  been  over  most  of  the  ground.  In 
fact,  boys,  I  have  hunted  for  those  same  gold-fields 
that  you  —  I  mean  they  —  barely  missed  discovering. 
Wait,  now,"  protested  the  Consul,  as  both  boys  sprang 
to  their  feet  with  questions  quivering  on  their  lips. 
"  I  know  what  you  want  to  ask.  You  want  to  know 
how  it  was  you  missed  the  golden  treasure.  I  mean, 


90  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

how  those  two  boys,  whose  adventures  I  have  been 
narrating,  missed  it,  rather.  Isn't  that  so  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  they  cried  eagerly.  "  Tell  us  how  we 
—  they  —  came  so  near  as  to  almost  find  it  and  then 
lost  it  utterly.  Why,"  continued  Arthur,  "  we  came 
within  an  ace  of  it,  I'm  sure ;  but  there  was  one 
important  clew  that  we  couldn't  follow  because  — 
because  —  " 

"  Ho  ho !  Then  you  two  were  those  boys,  after 
all?  You  say  'we.'" 

"  Of  course  we  were,  Consul,  and  you  know  it,  too. 
But  what  we  should  like  to  know  is,  how  you  got  the 
story." 

"  How  ?  Oh,  let  me  see.  Just  as  you  were  about 
to  strike  the  trail,  in  fact,  as  it  got  very  warm,  as  the 
hunters  say,  a  posse  of  black  men  pounced  upon  you 
and  dragged  you  off  to  this  city  and  to  jail ! " 

"  Yes,  Consul,  all  happened  exactly  as  you  say. 
We  should  have  told  you,  only  —  only — "  Arthur 
Strong  was  a  truthful  boy,  and  so  was  Hartley,  and 
as  they  did  not  like  to  give  the  real  reasons  for  hav 
ing  been  so  secretive,  they  looked  at  each  other  in  per 
plexity,  but  kept  silent. 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  the  Consul,  with  a  laugh.  "You 
didn't  tell  me  because  you  didn't  want  to,  and  that  is 
sufficient.  But  now,  as  to  how  I  got  the  story  of 
your  adventures.  If  you  will  only  recall  by  whose 
soldiers  you  were  arrested,  perhaps  you  may  draw  an 
inference  pretty  near  the  truth." 


How  the  Lost  Clew  was  Recovered.      91 

"  What,  the  President  ?  Did  you  get  it  from 
him  ? " 

"  Exactly.     From  his  Excellency  the  President." 

"  But  how  did  he  know  of  our  doings  previous  to 
reaching  the  scene  of  our  arrest  ?"  demanded  Arthur. 

"  How  did  he  know  ?  Why,  by  means  of  his  spies, 
of  course.  He  had  a  man  dogging  your  footsteps 
from  the  day  you  landed  on  the  coast,  watching  you 
in  camp  when  you  slept,  ready  at  any  time  to  do  his 
bidding,  even  to  murder,  if  need  be.  And  that 
reminds  me  —  speaking  of  spies  —  that  I  haven't 
seen  my  clerk  around  here  the  last  hour  or  so.  He 
is  probably  ensconced  in  some  convenient  corner  lis 
tening  to  all  we  say.  Well,  let  him  ;  but  if  he  repeats 
a  word  to  his  master,  I'll  break  every  bone  in  his 
body.  Let  him  look  out ! 

"  That's  for  his  benefit,"  said  the  Consul,  with  a 
grim  smile.  "  Now  come  here  and  let  me  whisper 
what  I  dare  not  say  aloud :  I  have  the  clew  which  was 
almost  in  your  hands  when  you  were  arrested  !  Sh  ! 
not  a  word.  When  the  proper  time  comes  we  will  put 
this  and  that  together,  and  find  that  treasure  yet,  or 
I'm  greatly  mistaken  !  " 


94  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

started  in  America.  This  is  the  church  of  Santo 
Domingo,  formerly  the  monastery  where  the  noble 
Bartholomew  de  las  Casas,  the  friend  of  the  Indians, 
once  lived  for  several  years." 

They  went  through  the  court  and  saw  before  them 
immense  heaps  of  fallen  stones,  the  ruins  of  massive 
walls.  "This,"  continued  the  Consul,  "  is  the  last 
vestige  of — what  do  you  suppose?  Well,  you  can't 
guess,  if  you  don't  know.  Here  before  you  is  all 
that  remains  of  the  first  university  ever  founded  in 
America.  Here  Las  Casas  taught,  here  some  of  the 
persecuted  Indians  whom  he  rescued  were  given  an 
education,  and  here  he  wrote  a  good  deal  of  that 
great  work  which  has  lasted  centuries,  his  '  History 
of  the  Indies,'  a  book  to  which  all  historians  since 
his  time  have  been  compelled  to  go  for  material  on 
the  West  Indies. 

"  Think  over  that,  my  boys,  for  it  is  something  to 
have  seen  a  few  '  first '  things,  such  as  this  the  first 
university,  the  city  of  Isabella,  —  which  you  have 
already  visited,  and  —  well,  the  first  castle  erected  in 
America,  in  which  you  have  been  incarcerated,  the 
old  Homenage.  You  won't  forget  that  in  a  hurry, 
I  fancy ! " 

The  Consul  had  intended  nothing  more  than  a 
humorous  allusion  to  their  imprisonment,  but  the 
instant  he  noted  the  swift  look  of  pain  that  came 
into  their  eyes  at  mention  of  their  prison-house,  he 
quickly  changed  the  subject. 


After  Four  Hundred  Years.  95 

"  But  pardon  me,  boys,  that  wasn't  a  very  happy 
thought,  I  must  confess.  Come  now  to  the  old  cathe 
dral.  The  west  door  is  always  open,  and  we  can  get 
in,  even  at  this  early  hour.  And  we  shan't  find  our 
great  and  good  friend,  the  President,  at  his  devotions, 
either,  —  at  least  not  there. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  added  in  a  low  tone,  glancing 
around  to  feel  sure  he  was  not  overheard  by  any 
passer-by,  "they  say  Lelee  is  a  voudou  worshipper. 
That  is,  he  sometimes  goes  up  into  the  mountains 
of  Haiti  and  sits  at  the  shrine  of  the  serpent.  The 
African  serpent  worship  was  brought  here  by  the 
negro  slaves,  and  along  with  it  the  habit  of  eating 
human  flesh,  or  of  cannibalism.  Now,  I  don't  say 
that  his  Excellency  goes  to  that  extent  in  his  devo 
tion  to  voudou ;  but  there  are  those  who  declare  that 
they  wouldn't  dare  trust  him. 

"  Well,  here  we  are.  Isn't  this  a  grand  old  pile  ? 
Three  hundred  and  fifty  years  have  gone  by  since 
this  cathedral  was  founded.  Under  the  tiles  of  the 
roof  outside  is  lodged  a  cannon-ball  fired  from  one 
of  Sir  Francis  Drake's  war  vessels ;  and  Drake  was 
here  —  when  was  it,  now,  can  you  tell  me  ? " 

"He  was  here  in  1586,  when  he  sacked  the  city 
and  carried  away  a  vast  sum  of  money,  and  again  in 
1595,  shortly  before  he  died,  on  his  last  voyage,"  said 
Hartley.  "That  is  what  I  have  read." 

"Exactly,"  rejoined  the  Consul,  "and  even  those 
events  alone  carry  us  back  to  the  days  of  Queen 


96  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Elizabeth ;  but  this  city  itself  was  founded  in  1496, 
and  the  cathedral  fifty  years  after.  So  you  see  it  is 
what  we  might  call  rather  ancient.  Look  over  there 
into  that  chapel.  The  great  mahogany  cross  you  see 
there,  which  is  nine  feet  high,  was  the  first  one  set  up 
on  the  site  of  this  cathedral,  and  was  made  in  1512. 
Beneath  the  pavement  of  the  nave,  somewhere  near 
this  very  spot,  is  the  tomb  of  Oviedo,  royal  historiog 
rapher  of  the  Indies,  who  died  in  1557.  That  beau 
tifully  sculptured  tomb  in  yonder  chapel  is  equally 
ancient,  and  in  fact  nearly  everything  here  antedates 
the  oldest  structure  in  the  United  States  by  more 
than  a  hundred  years." 

They  had  by  this  time  traversed  the  grand  nave 
and  were  in  front  of  the  high  altar,  at  one  side  of 
which,  near  the  right  wall  of  the  presbytery,  the 
Consul  pointed  out  a  slab  of  white  marble  on  which 
was  an  engraved  inscription  picked  out  with  black 
lettering.  "  Read,"  said  the  Consul.  "  This  inscrip 
tion  is  in  Spanish,  but  I  guess  you  can  make  it  out." 

Their  knowledge  of  Spanish  was  equal  to  this 
task,  and  Arthur  read  the  inscription  aloud :  "  Be 
neath  this  marble  is  the  vault  from  which  were  taken 
the  remains  of  the  most  noble  Don  Christopher 
Columbus,  Lord  High  Admiral  of  the  Ocean  Sea, 
who  died  in  Valladolid,  Spain,  in  1506,  was  interred 
in  the  convent  of  Las  Cuevas  in  Seville,  and  about 
the  year  1 540  was  brought  over  the  sea  and  placed 
beneath  the  pavement  of  this  presbytery,  where  his 


After  Four  Hundred  Years.  97 

remains  were  rediscovered  in  the  year  1867.  Re- 
quiescat  in  pace." 

"Why,  I  thought  the  remains  of  Columbus  were 
interred  in  the  cathedral  at  Havana,  Cuba,"  said 
Hartley. 

"  Yes ;  and  so  almost  everybody  thought,  until 
after  this  famous  re-discovery,"  replied  the  Consul. 
"  But  the  truth  is,  they  were  not." 

"Then  how  has  the  impression  become  general, 
at  least,  among  historical  writers,  that  Columbus  was 
buried  there  ? " 

"Well,  it  is  a  long  story,"  answered  the  Consul. 
"  There  is  no  doubt  at  all  that  the  remains  of  Colum 
bus  were  brought  to  this  island  of  Santo  Domingo, 
about  three  hundred  and  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago ; 
but  after  a  while  the  place  of  his  sepulchre  was  lost 
sight  of,  owing,  they  say,  to  the  fact  that  when  the 
pirate  Drake  was  reported  headed  for  the  island,  the 
church  dignitaries  ordered  all  traces  of  the  tomb  to 
be  obliterated,  fearing  desecration.  It  remained 
unknown  until  it  was  re-located  in  1867,  as  stated 
on  the  slab.  But  the  way  in  which  the  impression 
got  abroad  that  he  was  at  last  buried  in  Havana  was 
simple  enough.  In  the  year  1795  this  island  was 
ceded  by  Spain  to  France,  but  it  was  thought  too 
bad  to  allow  the  ashes  of  the  great  discoverer  of 
America,  and  of  one  who  had  done  so  much  for  the 
glory  of  Spain,  to  rest  under  an  alien  flag;  so  a 
frigate  was  sent  to  transport  them  to  Havana.  As 


98  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

no  one  knew  the  exact  burial  place,  only  that  it 
was  somewhere  in  the  cathedral,  the  commissioners 
charged  with  this  office  sounded  the  pavement  till 
they  located  a  'boveda,'  or  vault,  then  opened  it 
and  took  out  some  pieces  of  lead  and  fragments  of 
bone  that  were  there.  They  found  no  inscription 
whatever,  but  had  no  doubt  that  what  they  took 
away  were  the  remains  of  Columbus,  and  they  were 
placed  in  a  niche  in  the  cathedral  at  Havana,  and 
for  more  than  eighty  years  it  was  thought  all  right. 

"  But  one  day  some  masons  were  repairing  the  wall 
of  this  presbytery  and  came  across  a  vault  contain 
ing  a  leaden  casket.  They  reported  the  fact  to  the 
vicar  of  the  cathedral,  and  he  summoned  all  the 
city  authorities,  and  all  the  foreign  consuls,  myself 
included,  to  witness  the  official  opening  of  the  vault, 
which  he  had  every  reason  to  believe  contained  the 
remains  of  Columbus.  And  sure  enough  it  did,  for 
when  the  leaden  casket  was  opened  there  were  not 
only  the  remains,  such  as  human  bones  and  dust, 
but  inscriptions  authenticating  them  as  veritable 
relics  of  the  great  navigator  himself.  There  was 
also  a  silver  plate  with  his  name  engraved  thereon, 
a  big  bullet  which  it  is  supposed  was  shot  into  his 
body  when  he  was  in  Africa  before  he  made  the 
voyage  to  America,  and  a  few  other  trifles  of  the 
sort.  No,  there  is  no  doubt  these  were  the  remains 
of  Don  Christopher,  and  those  taken  to  Havana 
belonged  to  some  other  member  of  his  family,  prob- 


After  Four  Hundred  Years.  99 

ably  his  son,  Don  Diego,  the  same  man  who  built 
your  castle." 

"That  is  poetic  justice,"  said  Arthur,  though  not 
without  wincing  at  this  allusion  again  to  his  prison 
pen  ;  "  for  he  had  probably  hoped  to  make  himself 
a  name  by  building  it,  and  as  it  turns  out  all  trace 
of  him  is  finally  lost.  But  was  there  anything  else 
in  the  casket,  Consul,  that  would  throw  light  on  the 
subject,  or  upon  the  acts  of  Columbus  during  his 
lifetime?" 

The  Consul  looked  at  his  interlocutor  with  a 
strange  smile  on  his  face  for  a  moment,  then  re 
plied  :  "  Yes,  my  boy,  there  was.  But  come  back 
with  me  now  to  the  consulate,  where  we  can  talk 
in  privacy,  and  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it.  In  fact,  you 
will  be  more  interested  in  that  than  you  can  at  pres 
ent  understand.  It  was  not  merely  to  show  you  anti 
quarian  relics  that  I  took  you  boys  out  with  me  this 
morning,  but  to  have  you  see  for  yourselves  the  exact 
spot  in  which  I  found  the  lost  clew  to  the  treasure." 

"What?"  cried  both  boys  at  once.  "The  clew? 
In  this  vault?" 

"  That's  what  I  said.  But  come  along ;  not  an 
other  word  here.  Come." 

Arriving  at  the  consulate,  their  friend  took  Arthur 
and  Hartley  up  to  his  private  room,  and  after  closing 
the  door  and  examining  the  windows,  he  went  to  a 
corner  and  unlocked  a  huge  chest  that  stood  there. 
He  fumbled  awhile  among  the  articles  contained 


ioo  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

within  it  and  then  drew  forth  a  chamois-skin  bag,  from 
which  he  took  out  a  small  plate  of  metal,  about  four 
inches  square,  thin  and  tarnished.  Procuring  a  mag 
nifying  lens  he  handed  both  plate  and  glass  to  Arthur, 
and  requested  him  to  read  what  he  should  find  en 
graved  on  the  plate.  The  boy  complied,  while  Hart 
ley  stood  wondering  by.  At  first  he  seemed  puzzled  ; 
then  his  face  began  to  pale,  his  hand  shook  so  that 
he  could  hardly  keep  the  lens  at  the  right  focus.  But 
he  persisted  in  the  reading  until  he  had  finished  it, 
then  turned  to  the  Consul  with  a  sigh,  as  he  handed 
plate  and  lens  to  his  brother,  with  the  ejaculation  :  — 

"Wonderful!  Wonderful!  To  think  this  secret 
should  have  been  preserved  four  hundred  years ! " 

The  effect  of  the  reading  upon  Hartley  was  not 
less  marked,  for  he  seemed  stupefied,  deprived  of 
speech,  and  simply  looked  with  dilated  eyes  from  the 
objects  in  his  hand  to  his  companion. 


XL 

Through  a  Dead  Man's  Eyes. 

1  T  found  that  plate  in  the  Columbus  casket,"  said 
JL  the  Consul.  "  After  all  the  bones  had  been 
taken  out,  I  was  poking  about  in  the  dust  with  a 
stick  and  disclosed  this.  Nobody  had  any  objection 
to  my  taking  it  away,  and  so  I  brought  it  home  with 
me.  That's  all  there  is  to  the  story.  Rather  queer, 
though,  isn't  it  ? " 

The  boys  were  still  too  much  overcome  to  reply, 
and  the  Consul  continued :  "  Suppose  you  can 
make  out  the  lettering,  can't  you  ?  It  is  rather 
obscure,  to  be  sure,  but  still  it  is  legible.  Judg 
ing  by  your  looks,  you  must  have  got  an  inkling 
of  the  inscription,  for  it  seems  to  have  affected  you 
somewhat.  Let  me  read  it,  though,  and  see  if  it 
tallies  with  your  translation.  It  was  probably  left  by 
Columbus  on  his  deathbed,  with  instructions  to  have 
it  placed  in  his  coffin.  It's  a  wonder,  though,  that 
nobody  read  it  and  set  out  in  search  of  the  treasure 
he  mentions.  Columbus  was  queer,  and  no  mistake. 
Here  he  must  have  known  of  that  treasure  for  many 
years,  and  seems  to  have  made  no  effort  whatever  to 
find  it.  But  he  was  striving  for  a  world,  was  Colum 
bus,  and  what  were  a  few  millions  of  treasure  to  him  ? 

101 


IO2  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

However,  here  goes.  The  inscription  is  in  old 
Spanish,  as  you  may  have  observed,  and  hard  to 
make  out  on  that  account,  even  if  the  lettering  were 
not  microscopic. 

" '  I,  Don  Cristobal  Colon  [Spanish  for  Christopher 
Columbus,  you  know],  being  in  extremis  and  about 
to  leave  this  world  in  which  I  have  found  naught  but 
sorrow  and  pain,  and  desirous  of  committing  to  pos 
terity  a  secret  that  has  been  mine  for  many  years, 
have  caused  a  silver  plate  to  be  engraved,  and  this  is 
it.  It  is  to  make  known  the  whereabouts  of  the 
treasure  of  the  Cacique  of  the  Golden  House,  other 
wise  known  as  Caonabo,  the  same  Indian  chieftain 
whom  I  caused  to  be  taken  by  Alonzo  de  Ojeda  and 
sent  to  Spain  in  chains,  and  who  died  of  grief,  or  a 
broken  heart,  on  the  voyage.  Heaven  rest  his  soul 
and  ease  mine  of  the  weight  of  this  sin  ! 

" '  Before  he  left  Isabella  city,  which  I  had  founded 
and  named  after  my  gracious  sovereign,  he  told  me 
that  in  the  mountains  of  the  Cibao  he  had  filled  a 
vast  cave  with  all  the  gold  his  subjects  had  found  in 
many,  many  years.  He  told  me  that  to  reach  this 
treasure  cave  one  must  pursue  the  Rio  del  Oro,  or 
Yaqui,  to  its  branching  beyond  the  Yanico,  thence 
go  northwardly  for  more  than  a  furlong,  when  a 
narrow  ravine  would  be  found  opening  out  of  the 
stream,  and  at  the  head  of  this  ravine  was  the  cave, 
its  entrance  hidden  by  a  screen  of  vines.  This  the 
Cacique  told  me,  and  it  was  always  my  intention  to 


Through  a  Dead   Man's  Eyes.          103 

make  search  accordingly,  as  I  have  no  doubt  of  his 
truthfulness  in  the  matter.  But  here  am  I  at  last, 
near  to  death  in  Valladolid,  worn  out  from  long  ser 
vice  in  my  sovereigns'  service,  and  having  no  desire 
for  earthly  treasure.  It  is  my  will,  then,  that  this 
plate  be  placed  in  my  coffin,  to  be  buried  with  me  in 
the  island  of  Santo  Domingo,  in  the  convent  of  the 
Franciscans  in  the  Vega  Real,  that  whomsoever  may 
find  it,  in  some  succeeding  century,  may  receive  the 
benefit  of  this  intention.  And  may  that  treasure 
prove  more  a  blessing  to  its  finder  than  all  that  has 
been  yielded  to  me  through  my  discovery  of  the 
Indies,  all  that  I  have  had  being  sorrow  and  distress. 
Amen. 

" '  The  greeting  of  Cristobal  Colon,  one  time  Ad 
miral  of  the  Ocean  Sea,  one  time  the  companion 
and  confidant  of  kings  and  princes  ;  yet  who  dieth 
in  poverty  and  obscurity.  Of  what  avail,  O  God,  of 
what  avail  ? ' 

"  Well,  does  that  tally  with  your  translation  ? " 
asked  the  Consul. 

"Yes,"  replied  Arthur,  "  I  made  out  the  gist  of  it, 
enough  to  show  me  how  near  we  were  to  finding  that 
cave  when  the  soldiers  seized  us.  Why,  do  you 
know,  we  were  right  opposite  a  deep  and  narrow 
ravine,  and  Hart  and  I  were  discussing  whether  we 
ought  to  turn  off  there  or  keep  on  the  main  stream. 
The  soldiers,  concealed  in  the  forest,  must  have 
heard  us,  though  they  could  not  have  understood,  of 


IO4  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

course,  and  before  we  had  decided,  out  they  came 
and  made  us  prisoners." 

"And  now  I  remember,"  added  Hartley,  "that 
Art  was  for  going  up  the  ravine,  while  I  was 
inclined  to  keep  on  the  main  stream." 

"  Just  so,"  rejoined  the  Consul,  "  and  if  you  had 
had  this  clew,  bestowed  by  dead  and  gone  Columbus, 
you  might  have  gone  direct  to  the  cave  and  long 
before  this  have  been  revelling  in  untold  riches. 
That  is,  you  might  if  you  hadn't  been  headed  off.  I 
don't  believe  the  soldiers  know  of  the  cave  or  the 
treasure  ;  but  their  lord  and  master,  Lelee,  must  have 
an  inkling  of  it,  or  he  wouldn't  keep  them  up  there 
in  the  mountains,  perpetually  on  guard  watching  for 
prospectors  like  yourselves.  But  by  the  way,  what 
became  of  the  book  upon  which  you  relied  for 
information?" 

"  It  was  taken  from  us,"  replied  Arthur,  "  as  well 
as  everything  else  we  possessed,  except  the  clothes  we 
had  on." 

"  Ah,  yes,  and  that  reminds  me  that  I  have  not  made 
his  Excellency  disgorge  his  plunder,  either.  I  will 
write  him  a  note  and  suggest  that  it  will  be  better 
for  him  to  return  it  at  once.  When  do  you  want  to 
start  for  the  mountains  again  ?  I  suppose  you  still 
intend  to  continue  the  search  ? " 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  sadly  a  moment, 
and  then  Arthur  said,  "  Consul,  I  don't  think  we 
shall  go  there  again,  but  instead  will  abandon 


Through  a  Dead   Man's  Eyes.          105 

the  search  and  take  the  first  steamer  for  the 
States." 

"  How  now?    What  has  changed  your  intentions? " 

"Well,  Consul,  our  intentions  have  not  changed 
so  much  as  the  conditions.  Since  you  have  shown 
us  where  the  treasure  is  located,  and  yourself  own 
the  only  clew,  it  would  not  be  fair  to  take  advantage 
of  this  knowledge ;  so  there  seems  but  one  thing  to 
do,  and  that  is  to  throw  up  the  whole  affair  and  go 
back  home." 

"  Pooh,  pooh,  my  boy.  You  aren't  going  to  do  any 
such  thing.  I  meant  what  I  told  you  a  few  days 
ago  ;  that  I  would  go  in  with  you  two  as  a  silent  part 
ner,  if  you  like,  and  while  you  carry  on  the  search 
in  the  field  I  can  keep  watch  over  our  enemy  here  at 
the  capital.  What  do  you  say  ?  Is  it  a  bargain  ? 
Quick,  now,  do  you  close  ? " 

"What  shall  it  be,  Hart?"  said  Arthur,  with  a 
laugh. 

"  Close,  by  all  means,  Art.  It  would  nearly  break 
my  heart  to  abandon  the  search  now,  before  we  have 
fairly  started.  I  know  there's  risk  in  it,  but  that 
doesn't  matter.  I'm  willing  to  take  it  if  you  are." 

"Very  well,  Consul,  it  is  a  bargain.  But  what 
shall  we  do  for  an  outfit  ?  We  had  a  pretty  complete 
one  when  we  were  arrested,  but  now  — 

"  Give  yourself  no  uneasiness  about  that.  Why, 
have  you  forgotten  the  belt  full  of  gold  Arthur  had 
around  his  waist  under  his  clothes  ?  It  seemed  pretty 


io6  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

heavy,  and  I'm  willing  to  take  what  is  in  it  for  my 
share  of  the  expenses." 

"  Oh,  Consul,  Consul.  Did  you  save  that  for  us  ? 
Why,  I  thought  the  jailer  took  it  while  we  were 
unconscious,  for  when  I  awoke  it  was  gone." 

"  Of  course  it  was,  for  I  took  it  myself,  knowing 
full  well  that  if  I  didn't  some  one  else  would.  And  I 
doubt  if  anybody  else  would  have  brought  it  to  me, 
and  asked  me  to  place  it  in  my  safe  for  you ;  for  that's 
where  it  is  now,  and  subject  to  your  order." 

"  Consul,  we  can  never  sufficiently  thank  you  for 
all  your  kindness,  —  and  then  this  last !  If  you  will 
only  take  half  the  gold  in  the  belt  as  some  return  for 
the  expense  we  have  been  to  you  —  " 

"  Nonsense,  boy.  You  don't  know  what  you  are 
saying.  You  may  pay  for  your  outfit,  though,  and 
what  is  left  I'll  keep  in  the  safe,  if  you  say  so,  against 
the  day  of  need  that  may  come  if  you  don't  find  the 
treasure.  Then  again,  you'll  need  a  few  dollars  with 
which  to  bribe  the  soldiers  when  they  get  on  your 
trail ;  for  sure  as  fate  they  will.  Catch  old  Lelee 
napping  ?  No,  indeed  !  Outwit  him  for  a  while,  but 
eventually  he  will  catch  us,  I'm  afraid. 

"  What  I  propose  is  that  you  take  passage  on  the 
next  steamer  as  if  for  the  United  States,  and  instead 
of  going  through,  get  off  at  Puerto  Plata  or  Monte 
Christi,  on  the  north  coast,  as  she  touches  at  both 
places,  on  the  homeward  voyage.  You  can  make 
your  way  to  the  interior  from  either  port,  and  by  the 


Through  a  Dead  Man's  Eyes.         107 

time  Lelee  hears  of  it  be  so  far  into  the  mountains 
that  it  will  take  his  hirelings  a  long  time  to  find  you. 
I  expect  them  to  find  you  eventually,  but  their  master 
knows  that  if  they  do  you  any  bodily  harm  he  will 
pay  for  it.  The  Sangamon  is  due  here  this  week, 
and  as  I  am  well  acquainted  with  the  captain  and 
purser  I  will  arrange  for  your  passage.  Tickets  will 
be  made  out  for  New  York,  but  it  will  be  understood 
that  you  step  off  at  Monte  Christi.  I  advise  that 
port  because  it  is  farther  off  than  Puerto  Plata  and 
less  visited.  You  can  go  thence  up  the  Yaqui  River 
road  direct  to  the  mountains  of  the  Cibao  and  begin 
operations  where  you  left  off.  Does  that  suit  you?" 

"Perfectly,"  replied  Arthur,  Hartley  also  assent 
ing,  and  that  very  day  they  began  preparations  for 
the  journey.  With  the  Consul's  aid  they  got  to 
gether  a  complete  outfit  little  by  little,  and  when  the 
steamer  arrived  they  were  ready  to  start.  Purser 
and  captain  entered  cordially  into  the  scheme,  and 
on  the  homeward  voyage  of  the  Sangamon  the  two 
boys  were  carried  on  the  passenger  list  as  "  Messrs. 
Arthur  and  Hartley  Strong,  bound  for  New  York." 
The  President  was  not  unaware  of  their  departure, 
but  if  he  had  wished  to  prevent  it,  he  gave  no  sign. 

At  the  very  last  moment,  and  after  they  had  bid 
den  their  friend  good-by  at  the  consulate  (as  he  had 
important  papers  to  sign,  and  said  he  could  not  leave 
to  see  them  aboard),  when  the  steamer  had  pulled 
out  into  the  river  and  was  awaiting  the  purser,  they 


io8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

were  overjoyed  to  see  the  Consul  with  him  in  the 
boat  coming  off  to  the  ship.  They  hastened  to  the 
gangway  for  one  last  pressure  of  his  honest  palm 
and  to  reiterate  their  thanks,  when  he  surprised  them 
by  saying :  — 

"  So  you  thought  to  see  the  last  of  me,  eh  ?  Not 
at  all,  for  I'm  going  with  you.  Have  some  business 
up  North  which  nobody  else  can  attend  to.  Come 
below,  both  of  you,  I  want  a  look  at  your  stateroom." 

Following  them  into  their  room  and  closing  the 
door,  he  held  up  a  warning  finger,  and  whispered : 
"  There  s  a  spy  on  board.  Purser  told  me.  Soon  as 
I  heard  of  it,  I  packed  up  a  few  things  for  the  trip 
and  hastened  to  warn  you.  That's  why  I'm  here, 
and  I'm  going  to  stay  by  you  till  he's  disposed  of,  if 
it  takes  a  month  to  get  rid  of  him.  But  leave  that 
to  me.  That  miserable  clerk  of  mine  must  have 
overheard  some  of  our  conversation,  but  I'm  pretty 
sure  he  didn't  hear  all." 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Arthur,  who  was 
generally  the  spokesman. 

"  Do  ?  Why,  you'll  go  right  ahead  and  do  as  we 
had  planned.  I'll  attend  to  Mr.  Spy.  We  have 
three  days  to  scheme  in,  and  if  I  can't  dispose  of 
him  before  we  get  to  Cristi,  you  may  take  my  head 
for  a  football.  Come  on  deck  now,  and  act  as  if 
nothing  had  happened.  I  want  to  point  out  the 
sights  to  you." 

The  steamer  was  then  rounding  the  point  below 


Through  a  Dead  Man's  Eyes.          109 

the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  the  city  was  far  astern. 
A  man  stood  on  the  point  waving  his  hat,  and  after 
a  long  look  at  him  the  Consul  took  off  his  "  Panama  " 
and  whirled  it  vigorously. 

"That's  Ben,"  he  explained.  "Cable  operator, 
you  know.  Fellow  that  got  the  warship  over  here 
just  in  the  nick  of  time.  You  ought  to  remember 
that,  I  reckon." 

"  Indeed,  we  do,"  declared  Arthur.  "  And  we  owe 
him  something,  too,  for  his  aid,  for  he  ran  a  good 
deal  of  risk,  we  were  told." 

"That  he  did,"  assented  the  Consul.  "But  don't 
worry  about  paying  him  back  just  now.  The  time 
may  come  when  you  can  repay  him  with  interest. 
It's  a  lonely  life  he  leads  there,  all  by  himself  in  his 
little  hut.  And  by  the  way,  boys,  his  shanty  is 
pitched  on  the  site  of  the  veritable  tower  in  which 
your  old  friend  Columbus  was  imprisoned  when  he 
was  arrested  by  Governor  Bobadilla.  Don't  you 
recall  the  story  ?  Bobadilla  was  sent  over  to  inquire 
into  the  doings  of  Columbus  in  the  island,  and  rather 
exceeded  his  authority  by  putting  the  old  Admiral  in 
chains.  Nice  treatment  that,  wasn't  it,  as  a  reward 
for  such  distinguished  services  as  he  had  rendered 
the  king  of  Spain  ?  But  he  was  avenged  soon  after, 
right  on  this  very  coast." 


XII. 

Sailing  o'er  Historic    Waters. 


was  one  time,"  said  the  Consul, 
"when  a  hurricane  did  a  deal  of  good  in 
ridding  the  world  of  several  worthless  villains,  and 
that  time  was  the  event  I  just  mentioned.  The  way 
of  it  was  this  :  After  Bobadilla  had  sent  Columbus 
home  to  Spain  in  chains,  in  the  year  1  500,  he  lorded 
it  with  a  high  hand  in  the  island.  He  got  all  the 
work  he  could  out  of  the  poor  Indians  and  he  col 
lected  all  the  gold  he  could  find,  knowing  well  enough 
that  his  reign  would  be  a  short  one  ;  and  in  the  course 
of  a  year,  sure  enough,  he  had  run  the  length  of  his 
tether.  King  Ferdinand  of  Spain  sent  out  another 
governor  to  supersede  him,  and  Senor  Bobadilla 
packed  up  his  effects  for  home. 

"Now  it  so  happened  that  just  about  the  time  the 
fleet  in  which  he  was  to  sail  was  ready  to  depart, 
along  came  the  man  he  had  so  terribly  wronged;  to 
wit,  Christopher  Columbus,  with  another  fleet  of 
ships  and  caravels  bound  on  a  third  voyage  of  dis 
covery.  The  king  and  queen  of  Spain  had  freed  him 
from  his  fetters  and  cleared  his  character,  but  they 
had  forbidden  him  to  return  to  Santo  Domingo,  in 

no 


Sailing  o'er  Historic  Waters.  in 

order  to  prevent  a  collision  between  him  and  the 
others  who  had  usurped  his  place. 

"Now,  Admiral  Columbus  was  weather  wise,  you 
know,  and  as  he  saw  signs  of  a  storm  coming  up 
about  the  time  he  made  land  on  the  south  coast  of 
Santo  Domingo,  instead  of  pursuing  his  voyage  he 
made  a  run  for  shelter.  He  sailed  into  the  Ozama 
River  and  sent  ashore  asking  permission  to  make  a 
harbor  there ;  but  the  churls  in  possession  of  the  city 
he  and  his  brother  had  founded  refused  and  bade  him 
begone.  So  he  set  sail  for  a  small  harbor  down  the 
coast  which  he  knew  of,  but  before  he  went  he  tried 
to  heap  coals  of  fire  on  the  heads  of  his  enemies  by 
giving  them  information  of  the  coming  hurricane, 
and  warning  them  against  sending  out  the  fleet  for 
Spain,  which  he  saw  was  ready  to  sail. 

"  But  they  thought  they  themselves  knew  the 
weather  signs,  and  besides,  they  distrusted  Columbus 
more  than  the  mariners  of  to-day  distrust  our  weather 
bureau  at  Washington.  Anyway,  they  did  not  heed 
his  advice,  and  so  he  sailed  down  the  coast  for  a 
shelter,  while  the  fleet  set  sail  for  Spain.  It  was  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  richly  laden  galleon  fleets 
that  ever  sailed  out  of  the  Ozama  for  old  Spain,  and 
had  on  board,  besides  the  ex-governor  Bobadilla,  an 
ex-convict  and  rebel,  Roldan,  and  some  captive 
Indians,  among  them  being  a  famous  chieftain. 

"  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  the  hurricane 
came  up  and  sunk  every  ship  of  the  fleet  but  one ; 


H2  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

that  was  the  one  that  was  carrying  the  treasure  and 
effects  of  Columbus  to  Spain.  But  the  vessel  in 
which  were  Bobadilla  and  the  other  illustrious  people 
was  sent  to  the  bottom,  and  all  aboard  perished  in 
the  sea. 

"  But  I  haven't  mentioned  all  that  vessel  contained 
which  has  made  it  an  object  of  interest  ever  since, 
especially  to  wreckers  and  divers.  It  had  on  board 
the  largest  nugget  of  gold  ever  found  in  America,  if 
not  in  the  whole  world.  This  nugget  had  been  found 
by  a  poor  Indian  woman,  who  told  her  master,  a 
Spaniard,  about  it,  and  he  and  a  companion  went  and 
dug  it  up.  They  were  so  overjoyed  at  the  sight  that 
they  used  it  for  a  table,  and  one  time  roasted  a  pig 
whole  and  had  it  served  up  on  their  golden  table, 
boasting  that  no  man  ever  before  had  such  a  truly 
priceless  possession  put  to  such  common  use. 

"  Bobadilla  or  some  other  man  in  authority  made  the 
miners  give  up  their  prize  by  threatening  them  with 
the  law  for  trying  to  deprive  their  sovereign  of  his 
royal  fifths,  that  being  the  proportion  exacted  for  the 
king  of  Spain.  Anyway,  the  great  nugget  was  on 
board  Bobadilla' s  ship  when  it  was  sunk  by  the  hur 
ricane,  and  it  lies  now  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  that 
mass  of  gold  said  to  weigh  three  thousand  three 
hundred  and  ten  pounds. 

"  Think  of  that,  boys :  more  than  a  ton  and  a  half 
of  pure  gold,  worth  at  the  least  calculation  more  than 
eight  hundred  thousand  dollars,  down  on  the  floor  of 


Sailing  o'er  Historic  Waters.  113 

the  sea  waiting  for  somebody  to  haul  it  up  to  day 
light  !  We  are  about  over  the  spot  where  the  vessel 
sank,  I  should  think,  or  at  any  rate,  it  was  not  far 
from  where  we  are  now,  right  between  us  and  the 
shore.  Ah,  if  we  could  only  peer  into  the  depths  of 
the  sea  and  behold  what  is  lying  under  water  between 
the  ribs  of  those  old  galleons !  Why,  that  mass  of 
gold  alone  would  be  worth  some  trouble  to  get,  me- 
thinks.  What  say  you  ? " 

"  Whatever  you  say,  Consul,"  replied  Arthur,  who, 
like  his  brother,  had  been  listening  attentively  to  all 
their  friend's  remarks.  "  You  are  our  silent  partner, 
you  know,  but  yet  you  have  a  voice  in  affairs.  In 
fact,"  he  continued,  laughing,  "  seems  to  me  that  for 
a  '  silent '  partner,  you  have  done  a  good  deal  of 
talking." 

"Oh,  well,"  rejoined  the  Consul,  "if  I  talk  too 
much,  let  me  know  before  it  goes  too  far." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  Arthur  hastily  replied.  "Of 
course  you  have  not  talked  too  much.  Everything 
you  have  said  has  been  to  the  point  and  wonderfully 
interesting.  About  this  great  nugget,  for  instance, 
Hart  and  I  have  often  speculated  as  to  its  size  and 
the  place  where  it  went  down  ;  but  we  never  thought 
to  be  near  the  very  spot.  Do  you  really  think  it 
might  be  located  ? " 

"  Haven't  a  doubt  of  it.  But  the  trouble  would  be 
to  get  it  out,  for  it  is  probably  embedded  in  the  tim 
bers  and  beneath  the  wreckage  of  the  galleon ;  and 


1 14  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

besides,  nearly  four  hundred  years  have  passed  since 
she  sank,  and  it  may  be  buried  fathoms  deep  in  mud. 
But  we  won't  bother  about  that  now.  When  you 
shall  have  found  that  other  treasure,  we  shall  have 
money  enough  to  fit  up  a  wrecking  expedition  with 
some  chances  of  success.  Till  then,  we  will  hold  this 
matter  in  abeyance. 

"But  look  over  there  by  the  forward  hatchway. 
There  is  your  friend,  the  spy,  gazing  over  the  rail. 
Don't  let  him  catch  you  watching ;  but  note  his  ap 
pearance  well.  He  looks  the  cutthroat,  doesn't  he?" 

"A  more  villainous  face  I  never  saw,  not  even 
excepting  that  of  our  former  jailer,"  answered 
Arthur.  "  But  how  are  we  going  to  thwart  him, 
Consul?  Is  he  alone?  If  so,  I'm  sure  Hart  and 
I  can  attend  to  him." 

"Yes,  I  think  he  is  alone,  but  am  not  quite  sure 
yet.  Lelee  generally  has  his  hunters  out  in  couples, 
in  case  an  accident  should  happen  ;  but  so  far  I 
haven't  been  able  to  locate  his  partner,  if  he  has  one. 
The  purser  will  find  out  for  us,  however,  before  we 
get  to  Cristi,  as  he  has  to  pass  on  all  the  tickets, 
and  can  elicit  a  good  deal  of  information  in  the  way 
of  legitimate  questioning. 

"  But  I'm  hungry,  and  also  tired.  The  gong  just 
rang  for  dinner.  Suppose  we  go  below  and  have  some 
thing  to  eat,  then  seek  our  respective  couches  for 
the  night.  That's  a  glorious  sunset  over  there,  to  be 
sure;  but  a  sunset  is  something  always  on  exhibition, 


Sailing  o'er  Historic  Waters.  115 

at  least  once  a  day,  to  people  out  of  doors,  while  a 
good  dinner,  such  as  the  steward  of  the  Sangamon 
provides,  is  not  always  to  be  had  for  the  asking. 
Take  the  advice  of  an  old  stager,  boys,  and  while 
keeping  your  appreciation  for  the  beauties  of  nature, 
at  the  same  time  recollect  that  they  are  not  filling  as 
a  steady  diet.  Men  of  your  age  are  likely  to  moon 
about  a  good  deal  over  intangible  things  ;  men  of  my 
age  stick  to  realities.  Still,  a  judicious  mixture  of 
romance  and  reality  is  good  for  one,  if  he  can  but 
discriminate  between  the  real  and  the  unreal. 


"I  fancy  much  of  what  you  say  is  pure  nonsense," 
declared  Hart  ;  "  but  perhaps  we  can  pick  out  the 
nuggets  of  wisdom  as  we  find  them.  One  thing  we 
know,  and  that  is  your  discretion  and  diplomacy 
have  not  been  at  fault,  —  not  in  our  case." 

"  My  discretion  goes  overboard  when  my  sym 
pathies  are  aroused,  —  as  in  your  case,  —  and  as 
diplomacy,  they  say,  is  the  art  of  talking  a  great  deal 
without  saying  anything,  I  ought  to  be  a  past  master 
of  the  art.  Is  that  what  you  meant  to  say  ?  But,  no 
matter  ;  don't  stop  to  answer.  Here's  the  dining 
hall  and  the  dinner;  now  fall  to  and  enjoy  your 
selves." 

After  dinner  was  over  the  three  friends  took  a 
short  stroll  about  the  deck,  then  sought  their  state 
rooms,  slept  through  the  Mona  Passage  and  around 
the  eastern  end  of  Santo  Domingo,  and  awoke  at 


n6  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

daybreak  in  time  to  close  their  "ports"  against  the 
deluge  sent  over  the  sides  of  the  ship  by  the  sailors 
engaged  in  washing  off  the  decks.  The  water  was 
now  quite  smooth,  in  contrast  to  the  rough  seas  that 
had  tossed  them  about  during  the  night,  and  the 
boys  knew  before  they  had  gained  the  companionway 
that  they  must  be  under  the  lee  of  the  land.  But 
they  were  not  prepared  for  the  scene  of  beauty  that 
burst  upon  them  as  they  reached  the  deck,  for  right 
abreast  the  steamer  lay  a  cresent-shaped  beach  of 
snowy  sand,  above  which  hung  long-leaved  cocoa 
palms,  and  the  contrasts  of  color  —  the  heavenly  blue 
of  the  sea  and  the  vivid  green  of  the  palms,  with  the 
white  sands  sparkling  between,  were  entrancing. 

"Ah,  here  we  are  in  Samana  Bay.  How  is  that 
for  scenery  ? "  It  was  the  Consul  who  addressed 
them,  stretched  out  in  a  steamer  chair  sipping  his 
morning  coffee  and  drinking  in  the  glories  of  the 
shore  as  they  steamed  slowly  past. 

"Glorious,"  said  Arthur.  "And  what  is  that 
thing  out  there  sending  up  a  stream  of  vapor  ? " 

"  That's  a  whale,"  replied  the  Consul.  "  He's  got 
in  shallow  water  and  had  better  look  out  or  he  will 
get  stranded.  And  look  at  the  dolphins,  chasing 
those  flocks  of  flying  fish.  Pretty,  aren't  they  ? " 

"Very,"  said  Arthur,  seating  himself  and  drawing 
up  a  chair  for  his  brother.  "  Order  some  coffee, 
Hart,  and  let's  take  it  on  deck,  for  this  is  like  a 
beautiful  panorama,  and  we  ought  not  to  lose  a  bit 


Sailing  o'er  Historic  Waters.  117 

of  it."  Hartley  did  as  requested,  then  came  and  sat 
down  beside  his  brother  and  their  friend. 

"  See  that  pretty  cove  over  yonder,  the  one  with 
a  headland  at  the  farther  end  and  a  half-moon  beach 
with  clumps  of  palms  ?  Yes  ?  Well,  that  is  where  the 
first  Indian  blood  was  shed  by  Europeans  in  the  New 
World.  Yes,  right  there,  I  believe.  It  was  on  the 
return  trip  of  Columbus's  first  voyage  to  America, 
sometime  in  January,  1493.  He  rounded  the  great 
head  over  yonder,  and  came  into  this  bay,  which  he 
called  the  Gulf  of  Arrows,  from  the  fact  that  when 
he  sent  a  boat  ashore  for  water,  the  crew  was  saluted 
by  flights  of  arrows  from  the  Indians  camped  there. 

"  It  seems  that  they  were  Caribs,  and  quite  different 
from  the  Indians  the  Spaniards  had  left  a  few  days 
before  on  the  coast  of  Haiti ;  and  as  the  white  men 
had  never  met  the  Caribs  before,  and  the  Indians 
had  never  seen  or  heard  of  white  men,  it  was  a 
mutual  surprise,  as  you  may  say.  The  red  men 
recovered  first,  and  let  fly  a  dozen  arrows  or  so, 
wounding  one  of  the  men  in  the  boat  and  exasperat 
ing  the  rest  so  that  they  picked  up  their  arquebuses 
and  gave  the  aborigines  a  little  better  than  they  had 
sent.  Some  of  the  wild  men  were  laid  out  on  the 
spot,  and  the  rest  were  so  astonished  that  they  gave 
up  the  fight  right  off  and  hastened  to  make  terms 
with  such  wonderful  people  as  they  saw  before  them, 
who  could  —  as  they  thought  —  command  the  thun 
der  and  the  lightning. 


1 1 8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  That's  about  all  there  was  of  it  except  that  Colum 
bus  learned  from  these  Indians  —  or  thought  he  did 
—  about  an  island  to  the  south  and  west  of  here, 
which  was  inhabited  solely  by  Amazons  or  fighting 
women,  who  allowed  no  man  whatever  to  land  on 
their  shores.  He  set  out  in  search  of  that  island,  but 
after  sailing  awhile,  the  wind  came  up  favorable  for 
the  voyage  Spainward,  and  he  drew  about  and  started 
for  home.  So  this  was  the  very  last  land  he  and  his 
crew  looked  on  before  making  their  landfall  in  the 
Azores,  on  the  homeward  voyage. 

"  Ha,  there  is  our  friend  the  spy,  out  bright  and 
early,  and  casting  furtive  glances  about.  Perhaps  he 
thinks  you  are  going  ashore  here ;  but  he's  going  to 
learn  a  thing  or  two  before  he's  many  hours  older." 


XIII. 

The  Spy  makes  an  Involuntary  Voyage. 

THE  steamer  came  to  anchor  in  the  landlocked 
harbor  abreast  the  little  town  of  Santa  Bar 
bara,  but  there  was  hardly  time  to  go  ashore  to  see 
the  place,  so  the  passengers  stayed  aboard.  This 
town  is  the  chief  emporium  of  the  great  peninsula 
of  Samana,  but  is  famous  mainly  for  its  harbor, 
which  has  long  been  coveted  as  a  coaling  station  by 
several  maritime  powers,  the  United  States  included. 

The  boys  were  surprised  to  hear  a  respectable  old 
negro  who  came  off  to  the  ship  address  the  Consul 
in  excellent  English,  and  after  they  were  introduced, 
they  learned  that  he  was  the  pastor  of  a  large  flock 
of  American  negroes,  chiefly  descendants  of  a  colony 
that  had  been  made  here  fifty  or  sixty  years  ago. 
In  fact,  though  it  is  not  generally  known,  the  most 
of  the  peninsula  of  Samana,  with  its  beautiful 
scenery,  its  genial  climate  and  fertile  soil,  is  occu 
pied  by  black  and  colored  people  who  speak  English 
and  are  the  most  thrifty  people  on  the  island. 

Learning  that  the  young  men  were  intending  visit 
ing  the  interior  of  the  island,  the  old  minister  gave 
them  his  card,  saying,  as  he  did  so,  "There  are 

119 


i2o  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

several  of  my  people  scattered  about  in  the  moun 
tains  of  the  interior,  and  if  you  should  meet  with 
any  of  them  and  show  them  this  card,  there  is  noth 
ing  in  the  world  they  would  not  do  for  you." 

"That's  true,"  added  the  Consul,  by  way  of  in 
dorsement,  "for  if  there  are  any  honest  people  in 
the  wide,  wide  world,  Father  Johnson's  parishioners 
answer  to  that  description.  I  wish  we  could  get  one 
of  them  to  go  with  you,  for  then  I  should  feel  that 
you  were  comparatively  safe." 

"Are  not  these  the  young  men  the  President 
incarcerated  in  the  Homenage  ?"  asked  the  old  man. 
Having  been  answered  in  the  affirmative,  he  rejoined : 
"  Indeed,  then,  they  may  feel  glad  to  have  escaped 
that  loup  garou,  who  rarely  lets  any  lambs  of  my 
flock  return  if  ever  they  stray  far  away  from  the 
fold.  His  loathsome  procurers  have  several  times 
been  here ;  once  they  took  away  a  fine  young  man, 
despite  my  protests,  and  he  perished  miserably  in 
the  jail  at  the  capital.  Why  ?  I  never  knew.  If  I 
mistake  not,  I  saw  one  of  those  evil  men  leaning 
over  the  rail  as  I  came  aboard.  If  I  could  only  get 
sufficient  proof  of  his  guilt,  I  would  have  him  taken 
into  custody.  But  then,  it  would  do  no  good,  for  his 
master  would  have  him  released  at  once,  and  would 
probably  put  me,  old  as  I  am,  in  his  place." 

Thus  the  boys  received  confirmatory  evidence  of 
the  presence  on  board  of  one  of  Lelee's  spies,  or 
procurers,  and  if  they  had  had  any  doubts  as  to  the 


The  Spy  makes  an  Involuntary  Voyage.      121 

correctness  of  the  Consul's  surmises,  they  no  longer 
entertained  them. 

Next  morning,  after  a  short  night's  run,  they 
entered  the  harbor  of  Puerto  Plata,  or  the  Silver 
Port,  so  called,  some  say,  from  a  silver  cloud  that 
hangs  over  a  mountain  near  it,  and  others  say  from 
some  silver-laden  galleons  having  been  raised  near 
it  which  were  sunk  in  buccaneer  times. 

It  is  one  of  the  prettiest  ports  in  Santo  Domingo, 
and  has  an  air  of  thrift  and  cleanliness  which  most 
of  the  other  places  lack.  This  may  be  owing  to  the 
presence  here  of  some  enterprising  Americans,  who 
have  sugar  plantations  adjacent  and  are  also  engaged 
in  commercial  business. 

A  short  stay  only  was  made  here,  and  then  the 
steamer  left  for  Monte  Cristi,  about  a  hundred  miles 
westward.  About  three  in  the  afternoon  the  boys 
sighted  familiar  landmarks,  when  the  headland  pro 
tecting  the  site  of  Isabella  came  into  view,  for  it 
was  here  that  they  had  landed  some  months  before, 
when  they  made  their  unfortunate  excursion  to  the 
mountains.  Here,  also,  in  December,  1493,  the  first 
European  settlement  in  America  was  started  by 
Columbus,  and  the  ill-fated  city  built  which  he  called 
Isabella,  after  the  queen  of  Spain.  All  about  it  is 
a  wilderness  now,  and  even  the  very  site  of  the  city 
is  covered  over  with  a  rank  growth  of  tropical 
vegetation. 

"  That  was  a  wild-goose  chase,  wasn't  it,  Art  ? " 


122  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

It  was  Hartley  who  spoke,  musingly,  as  he  recurred 
to  their  adventures  after  landing  here.  "  But  we  had 
a  good  time,  didn't  we  ? " 

"  Indeed  we  did,"  replied  Arthur.  "  I  shall  never 
forget  the  nice  little  hut  we  made  and  then  had  to 
abandon,  the  flocks  of  parrots  that  came  at  our  call, 
the  mocking-birds  that  sang  for  us  every  morning, 
and  the  wild  fruits  we  found  in  the  forest.  Then  the 
feeling  that  we  were  the  first  ones  to  re-discover  the 
lone  city  in  the  woods,  which  had  been  left  desolate 
ever  since  Columbus  was  there,  four  hundred  years 
ago.  How  happy  we  were,  Hart,  and  how  free.  Do 
you  remember  the  little  sand  beach  between  the 
bluffs,  where  we  used  to  take  our  baths  every  morn 
ing  at  daylight,  and  had  to  carry  cudgels  into  the 
water  to  frighten  away  the  barracoutas  ?  Of  course 
you  do,  for  it  was  only  a  few  months  ago,  though  it 
does  now  seem  years,  when  I  think  of  what  has  hap 
pened  to  us  since." 

Thus  indulging  in  reminiscence,  the  boys  gazed 
longingly  at  the  scenes  of  their  former  adventure, 
straining  their  eyes  to  see  the  last  vestige  of  beach 
and  woodland  as  the  steamer  passed.  But  the  Con 
sul  had  then  no  time  nor  taste  for  reminiscence.  He 
was  looking  forward  to  the  near  future,  and  scheming 
how  he  could  rid  his  young  prote"g6s  of  that  hateful 
spy.  He  remained  closeted  with  the  purser  for  more 
than  an  hour,  and  as  he  emerged  from  the  latter's 
room  his  eyes  twinkled  with  satisfaction.  Hastily 


The  Spy  makes  an  Involuntary  Voyage.     123 

walking  aft,  he  sought  the  boys,  where  they  were 
standing  looking  at  the  fast-receding  hills  of  Isabella, 
and  opened  fire  at  once. 

"  Look  here,  my  hearties.  The  thing  is  all 
arranged.  Purser  and  I  have  fixed  it  to  the  queen's 
taste.  You  know  I  bought  two  tickets  for  you  to 
New  York;  but  you  are  to  get  off  at  Cristi,  while 
our  sable  friend,  the  President's  minion,  will  perforce 
travel  on  your  passage.  As  there  will  be  two  tickets, 
he  can  thus  go  up  and  back ;  though  as  to  when 
he  returns  is  a  matter  not  yet  settled.  We  shall  get 
to  Cristi  after  dark,  but  as  I  have  cabled  for  my 
consular  agent  to  meet  me  with  his  boat  and  take 
us  directly  ashore,  we  shall  have  no  trouble  in 
landing. 

"  Meanwhile  Mr.  Spy  is  to  be  locked  in  the  purser's 
strong  room,  —  that  is,  if  he  can  be  beguiled  into  it, 
—  and  not  let  out  again  until  the  steamer  is  well  off 
toward  the  Bahamas.  As  there  will  be  no  further 
stops  this  side  New  York,  the  honorable  gentleman 
deputed  to  spy  upon  your  movements  will  probably 
have  a  couple  of  months  to  reflect  upon  the  error  of 
his  ways  before  he  can  get  passage  back  to  his  native 
land.  In  fact,  it  is  doubtful  if  he  ever  does  come 
back,  knowing  his  master's  unforgiving  nature  and 
that  it  is  very  likely  he  will  have  him  shot  for  not 
carrying  out  his  schemes  to  the  very  letter.  How 
does  that  strike  you  ?  " 

"  Why,  it  is  a  good  scheme,"  said  Arthur,  "  if  it 


124  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

will  only  work.  But  seems  to  me  it  is  a  case  of 
'  first  catch  your  hare,'  isn't  it  ? " 

"Oh,  we'll  catch  that  hare  all  right,  for  all  the 
ship's  company  is  on  our  side,  and  he  can't  get  away. 
He's  in  for  a  voyage  to  New  York,  whether  he  wants 
to  go  or  not." 

"  But  if  he  doesn't  ?  "  urged  Hartley. 

"It  will  be  just  the  same.  Go  he  shall,  and  go  he 
must.  It's  for  the  good  of  his  country.  What's  that 
the  poet  says  :  '  He  left  his  country  for  his  country's 
good'?" 

"  But  he  may  not  think  so,  you  know,"  said 
Arthur. 

"  Think  so  ?  Why,  he's  got  to  think  so.  Anyway, 
he's  going,  whether  he  wants  to  or  not.  Come,  now, 
get  your  ' dunnage'  together  and  be  all  ready  to 
go  ashore  the  minute  the  steamer  slows  up.  I  have 
fixed  it  with  the  purser,  as  I  said,  and  he  is  to  hold 
the  man  a  prisoner  until  too  late  for  him  to  escape." 

Well,  the  Consul's  plan  worked  beautifully.  The 
steamer  arrived  at  the  roadstead  of  Monte  Cristi 
about  nine  at  night,  and  just  as  it  slowed  up  suffi 
ciently  to  drop  the  inland  and  take  aboard  the  out 
going  mails,  a  long-boat  manned  by  a  stalwart  crew 
shot  up  to  the  gangway  and  hooked  on. 

"  Here  we  are,  Consul,"  cried  the  steersman,  who 
was  the  consular  agent  himself.  "Tumble  out,  sir, 
for  the  tide  is  swift  right  here  and  it's  a  long  pull 
ashore." 


A  LITHE  BODY  WAS  DRAWN   OUT  OF  THE  PORTHOLE." 


The  Spy  makes  an   Involuntary  Voyage.     125 

The  trio  did  as  commanded,  and  in  less  than  ten 
minutes  they  and  their  luggage  were  aboard  the  long 
boat  and  being  rowed  away  from  the  steamer.  But 
suddenly  their  attention  was  caught  by  hideous  howls 
of  rage  from  a  porthole  amidship,  and  looking  in  their 
direction  they  saw  in  the  dusk  of  night  a  head  pro 
truding  from  it.  Then  a  hand  was  thrust  out,  fol 
lowed  by  another,  and  more  quickly  than  they  could 
have  believed  possible,  a  lithe  body  was  drawn  out  of 
the  porthole  and  hung  for  a  moment  suspended  above 
the  water. 

"It's  that  miserable  spy,"  growled  the  Consul. 
"Who  would  have  thought  he  could  crawl  through 
that  port  ?  But  there  he  is,  and  the  only  thing  to 
do  is  to  head  him  off  and  take  him  back  aboard 
ship."  Then  :  "  Stern  all !  "  he  shouted  to  the  oars 
men.  "  Perhaps  we  can  catch  him  in  our  boat  as  he 
drops ! " 

But  no.  Hardly  had  the  long-boat  gone  astern 
half  its  length,  when  a  splash  was  heard,  and  the 
water  closed  over  the  dark  form,  which  sped  swiftly 
downward. 

The  rowers  then  stopped  and  rested  on  their  oars, 
while  all  hands  watched  for  the  reappearance  of  the 
spy.  Finally  his  head  popped  up  several  rods  away, 
and  he  struck  out  lustily  for  the  shore.  The  boat 
was  headed  for  him,  and  the  men  bent  to  their  oars 
again,  when  a  sharp  cry  was  heard :  "  Oh,  the 
sharks  !  "  Looking  in  the  direction  of  the  swimmer, 


126  The   Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

those  in  the  boat  saw  a  huge  triangular  fin  cleaving 
the  water  not  far  away,  then  another  and  another. 

"The  water's  full  of  them,"  shouted  the  agent. 
"  I  wouldn't  give  much  for  that  fellow's  chances  right 
now." 

Even  as  he  spoke  the  spy  was  seen  to  throw  up 
his  arms. 

"  They've  got  him,"  yelled  one  of  the  sailors. 

"  No,  no,"  cried  the  agent.  "  Not  yet,  he  has  the 
cramps." 

The  boat  was  now  right  over  the  spot  where  he 
had  sunk,  and  his  form  could  be  indistinctly  traced 
by  the  phosphorescent  bubbles  rising  around  him  dis 
turbed  by  his  descent.  The  attention  of  all  was 
drawn  irresistibly  to  the  sight,  —  of  all  but  one,  — 
but  as  a  splash  was  heard  the  charm  was  broken. 
They  looked  around  and  saw  that  the  place  till  then 
occupied  by  Arthur  Strong  was  vacant.  He  had 
divested  himself  of  coat  and  shoes,  and,  unobserved, 
had  plunged  into  the  water,  evidently  with  the  inten 
tion  of  trying  to  save  the  sinking  spy. 

A  stream  of  phosphorescence  bubbled  after  him  as 
he  dived  directly  downward,  and  by  their  silvery  light 
his  course  was  easily  traced.  There  were  other 
streaks  of  light  drawn  hither  and  thither  through  the 
water,  as  those  cruel  monsters  of  the  deep  glided 
about  uneasily  watching  for  opportunity  to  snatch 
their  prey.  Just  as  Arthur  had  reached  the  spy  and 
was  about  to  seize  him  by  the  shoulder,  to  guide  his 


The  Spy  makes  an  Involuntary  Voyage.      127 

body  upward,  an  immense  shark  darted  directly  for 
him.  As  it  turned  over  to  bring  its  hideous  jaws 
together  the  Consul,  who  had  gripped  the  boat  rail 
until  the  blood  almost  burst  through  his  fingers, 
exclaimed  :  — 

"  He's  gone,  I  fear !  Can't  we  save  him  ?  Men, 
can't  you  swim  ? " 

"  Can  swim,"  grunted  one  of  the  sailors ;  "  but 
nigger  don't  fight  shark  !  Shark  eat  black,  but  won't 
touch  white  man  while  black  man  there.  That  man 
care  for  self.  You  see  !  " 

Hartley,  meanwhile,  sat  as  if  cast  in  iron.  Having 
such  implicit  confidence  in  his  brother  as  to  believe 
he  could  not  come  to  harm  through  an  act  of  his 
own,  and  knowing  his  powers  in  the  water,  he  had  no 
real  fear.  And  yet,  those  throngs  of  sharks,  which 
now  swam  apparently  in  shoals  about  the  man  and 
boy  below,  were  enough  to  appall  the  stoutest  nature. 
His  heart  beat  tumultuously,  but  still  he  sat  there, 
rigid,  and  to  all  appearances  calm. 

"  He  has  a  knife,"  he  whispered  huskily  to  the 
Consul,  "and  he  knows  how  to  use  it.  Have  no 
fear.  He  will  come  back  alive." 

"  My  poor  boy ! "  groaned  the  Consul,  "  I  wish  I 
could  think  so." 


XIV. 
One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way. 

^UDDENLY  a  great  shout  went  up  from  the 
1^5  man  m  tne  bows  of  the  boat,  who,  from  having 
a  position  nearest  the  combatants,  could  better  see 
what  was  happening  down  below. 

"  He  gives  it  to  him  !  The  blood  spurts  out !  He 
has  killed  him  !  " 

"  Who  ?  What  ?  Who  is  killed  ? "  demanded  half 
a  dozen  voices. 

"The  shark!  the  shark!"  answered  the  man  in 
the  bows.  "The  white  boy  stabbed  him  in  the 
throat  just  as  he  turned  to  snap  his  head  off.  But 
I  can't  see  more,  for  the  water  is  filled  with  blood." 

"  Watch  for  them  to  come  up,"  shouted  the  agent. 
"  Be  ready,  all  of  you.  Get  out  a  boat-hook.  Stand 
by  to  pull  them  in  the  minute  their  heads  appear 
above  water ! " 

The  water  was  so  turbid  now  that  nothing  could 
be  seen  below,  and  on  the  surface  it  was  lashed  to 
foam  by  the  scurrying  sharks.  They  seemed  to 
know,  all  of  them,  that  something  terrible  had 
happened, — that  a  wary  foe  was  righting  them 
in  their  own  element,  —  and  they  were  evidently 
excited. 

128 


One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way.          129 

Through  it  all  sat  Hartley  and  the  Consul,  silent, 
watchful,  one  on  either  side  the  boat,  leaning  half 
over  the  rail,  ready  to  seize  the  first  one  of  the  men 
whose  lives  were  imperilled,  should  he  appear  above 
water.  A  round  black  object,  a  man's  head,  came 
up  right  under  Hartley's  extended  hand,  and  he 
seized  it  firmly,  calling  for  aid.  Several  pairs  of 
hands  were  out  in  an  instant,  and  the  man  was 
drawn  safely  into  the  boat.  Hartley's  heart  was 
in  his  throat,  and  when  it  was  revealed  that  the 
man  saved  was  not  his  brother,  after  all,  he  made 
as  though  he  would  have  cast  himself  into  the  water. 

But  the  agent  laid  a  restraining  hand  upon  him, 
and  at  that  moment  the  Consul  cried  out :  — 

"  Here  he  is !  I  have  him.  Your  brother  is 
safe ! " 

He  drew  Arthur  in  over  the  rail,  limp  and  appar 
ently  lifeless,  just  as  a  huge  shark,  seemingly  the 
leader  of  the  monsters  at  the  surface,  darted  at  the 
escaping  prey,  barely  missing  his  legs  and  tearing  a 
strip  from  the  gunwale  of  the  boat. 

"  Fall  back,  men,"  shouted  the  agent.  "  To  your 
places,  or  you'll  swamp  the  boat.  Pull  for  the  land, 
now,  all  you  know  how." 

"No,  no,"  cried  the  Consul.  "Not  for  land  ;  back 
to  the  steamer.  Pull !  " 

"All  right,  then,  for  the  steamer.  Now  let's 
attend  to  these  men." 

The  agent,  the   Consul,  and   Hartley,  comprising 


ijo  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  passengers  of  the  craft,  laid  the  two  rescued 
men  out  on  the  thwarts,  and  did  all  they  could  to 
resuscitate  them,  giving  impartial  attention  to  friend 
and  foe.  Both  had  succumbed  to  the  ordeal  through 
which  they  had  passed,  and  were  unconscious ;  but 
the  black  man,  though  he  had  been  in  the  water 
longer  than  Arthur,  must  have  been  of  tougher 
fibre,  for  he  was  the  first  to  revive.  By  the  time 
the  steamer  was  reached,  also,  Arthur  opened  his 
eyes  and  gazed  wonderingly  up  into  his  brother's 
face.  Then  Hartley  broke  down  and,  though  hith 
erto  so  calm  and  restrained,  cried  from  excess  of 
joy. 

"  My  own  brave  brother!"  he  murmured,  pressing 
Arthur's  head  against  his  shoulder  and  stroking  the 
pallid  face.  "  I  should  have  died,  Art,  if  you  had 
drowned." 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  the  agent.  "  Steamer's  wait 
ing  for  us  to  come  aboard.  Shall  we  take  'em  both 
on  deck,  Consul  ?  " 

"  No,  only  the  Dominican.  Arthur,  my  boy,  you're 
well  enough  to  go  ashore  now,  aren't  you  ? " 

Arthur  nodded  assent,  and  the  Consul  continued, 
"  Well,  then,  my  friend,"  addressing  the  man  Arthur 
had  rescued,  "  how  do  you  feel  ?  Able  to  walk?  " 

The  man  got  to  his  feet,  and  by  steadying  himself 
against  two  of  the  sailors,  was  able  to  get  out  of  the 
boat.  Although  he  had  made  such  exertions  to  get 
ashore,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  he  now  seemed 


One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way.  13 1 

to  have  changed  his  mind  ;  at  all  events  he  was  trac 
table,  and  when  asked  if  he  would  go  quietly  on  the 
voyage  to  New  York,  answered  that  he  would.  He 
then  volunteered  the  information  that  if  he  could  get 
something  to  do,  he  would  rather  stay  there,  as  he 
knew  Lelee  had  "a  rod  in  pickle"  for  him  when  he 
should  return  to  the  capital. 

"All  right,"  said  the  Consul.  "The  sea  bath 
seems  to  have  brought  you  to  your  senses."  He 
was  assisted  to  the  deck,  while  the  long-boat 
awaited  below,  and  the  Consul  said  to  the  purser, 
who  came  to  meet  them  :  — 

"Joe,  just  give  this  man  fifty  dollars  when  he 
arrives  in  New  York,  or  else  get  him  a  job  that  will 
support  him,  will  you  ?  He's  leaving  the  island  for 
his  health,  and  is  afraid  he  may  have  a  relapse  if 
he  returns  very  soon  ;  understand  ? " 

"Every  bit,"  replied  the  purser.  "He  shan't  get 
back  for  another  month,  anyway,  even  if  he  wants  to. 
Got  any  luggage,  my  man  ?  No  ?  Well,  then,  go  up 
forward  and  report  to  the  forecastle  steward." 

"Wait  a  moment,"  added  the  Consul,  as  the  man 
was  shuffling  away.  "Tell  me,  now  that  you  have 
no  further  object  in  dogging  the  movements  of  these 
two  friends  of  mine  down  below  in  the  boat,  tell  me 
if  you  have  any  partner  or  companion." 

"No,"  answered  the  spy,  "I  came  alone.  But  —  " 
he  hesitated. 

"  But  what  ? "  demanded  the  Consul    "  Remember, 


13  2  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

one  of  those  boys  has  saved  your  life,  at  the  risk  of 
his  own,  and  surely  you  cannot  have  anything  against 
them  now." 

"  No,  I  never  had ;  but  it  was  to  do  Lelee's  bidding 
I  came  on  this  trip.  But  I  am  not  the  only  spy  in 
Lelee's  employ.  Know  that.  The  island  is  full  of 
his  men,  —  you  know  that ! " 

"Yes,  I  know  it.  But  is  there  any  one  in  par 
ticular  they  must  look  out  for  ?  Is  there  any  one  we 
cannot  avoid  or  bribe  ? " 

"  Yes,  there  is  one.  Tell  them  to  look  out  for  the 
old  man  who  lives  in  the  Cibao  called  '  el  Diablo 
Colorado '  (the  Red  Devil).  He  cannot  be  avoided, 
and  he  will  not  be  bribed.  He  is  Lelee's  adviser, 
his  ' papa-lois?  you  know." 

"  Oh,  yes,  his  spiritual  adviser,  we  may  call  him,  a 
high  priest  of  the  voudou.  I've  heard  of  him,  and 
if  all  accounts  are  true,  he  has  more  than  one  child 
murder  to  answer  for." 

"  They  are  true,"  rejoined  the  spy ;  "  he  has  mur 
dered  many." 

"  That's  all.  Thank  you.  And  look  here.  It  seems 
mighty  hard  to  send  you  away  from  home  and  country 
against  your  will.  If  I  could  trust  you,  I  would  say 
come  with  us  and  go  ashore.  What  do  you  say  ? " 

"  You  could  trust  me,  Sefior  Consul ;  when  I  was 
sinking  in  the  water,  with  death  awaiting  me,  as  I 
thought,  my  life  came  up  before  me,  and  I  saw  how 
wicked  I  had  been,  J  resolved  that  if  I  should  escape 


One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way.  133 

I  would  do  better,  Senor  Consul.  But  I  cannot  do 
better  here  in  Santo  Domingo,  for  my  master  has  me 
in  his  power  and  he  bids  me  do  evil.  So  it  is  for  the 
best  that  I  go  away,  and  I  am  only  thankful,  not 
revengeful,  that  you  have  given  me  this  chance. 
Thank,  too,  the  young  man  who  saved  my  life.  If  I 
should  return  and  he  should  be  here  still  and  need 
my  help,  he  has  only  to  command  Salvador  Braur, 
his  servant  till  death." 

"  Spoken  like  a  man,"  said  the  Consul,  grasping 
the  Dominican's  hand  and  wringing  it  heartily.  "  I 
am  glad  you  have  been  turned  from  the  evil  of  your 
ways.  I  wish  as  much  could  be  said  of  your  master ; 
but  I  fear  he  has  as  many  lives  as  a  cat,  and  we  should 
have  to  drown  him  nine  times  over  to  bring  repen 
tance  to  his  hard  heart.  Purser,  if  this  man  needs 
money  you  may  draw  on  me  to  the  amount  of  a  hun 
dred  dollars  instead  of  fifty.  Now,  good-by,  my  friend. 
Here,  before  you  go,  drink  a  drop  of  this  cordial 
which  I  am  taking  to  the  boy  in  the  boat.  It  will  do 
you  good.  Now  take  care  of  yourself,  and  may  God 
help  you  keep  your  new  resolutions.  Ha,  there's  the 
bell  for  starting  the  engines.  Well,  purser,  adios. 
Many  thanks  for  all  your  aid.  You  know  where  to 
find  me  when  the  bills  come  for  settlement,  you 
know.  Keep  an  eye  on  that  man,  and  help  him  all 
you  can.  There's  good  in  him,  I  believe.  Shove  off, 
now,"  ordered  the  Consul,  as  he  sprang  into  the  long 
boat. 


The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  For  shore,  as  quick  as  you  know  how.  Pardon, 
my  boy,  for  keeping  you  here  so  long ;  but  I  had  to 
settle  with  the  man  you  rescued.  I  hope  you're  all 
right  again  by  this  time.  Here,  now,  take  a  little  of 
this  medicine  sent  by  the  steward.  That  will  revive 
you,  I'm  sure.  Ha !  Sends  a  thrill  through  your 
veins,  doesn't  it  ?  You  feel  all  right  now,  don't  you  ? 
Yes  ?  That's  good.  It  may  rejoice  your  heart  to  be 
told  that  the  man  you  saved,  whose  name  is  Salvador 
Braur,  by  the  way,  has  experienced  a  change  of  heart, 
and  from  being  your  deadly  enemy  desires  to  be  of 
service  whenever  possible." 

"I'm  glad,"  said  Arthur,  "that  he  has  no  ill-will 
against  us." 

"  Glad  ?  Well,  of  course  !  To  tell  the  truth,  my 
boy,  I  had  my  doubts  about  your  jumping  overboard 
to  save  the  life  of  such  a  scoundrel  as  he  evidently 
was,  and  if  you  had  consulted  me  beforehand,  it  would 
not  have  been  saved." 

"  But  I  didn't  stop  to  think  about  his  character," 
said  Arthur.  "  I  only  felt  that  the  man  was  drown 
ing,  and  that  but  for  us  his  life  would  not  have  been 
imperilled.  It  was  my  duty  to  attempt  to  save  him, 
and  I  don't  care  what  you  think  about  it  !  " 

"  Hoity-toity !  Well,  no  doubt  you  did  just  what 
was  right,  as  it  turned  out ;  but  if  you  had  been 
drowned,  I  am  thinking  your  brother  and  I  wouldn't 
have  taken  your  view  of  the  case.  But  where  did 
you  learn  the  use  of  a  knife  so  handily  ?  It  takes  a 


One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way.  135 

cool  head  and  a  strong  arm  to  jab  a  man-eating  shark 
in  the  throat  as  you  did  down  there  under  water ;  and 
what  nerves  you  must  have  to  seize  that  man  by  the 
arm  and  push  him  up  to  the  surface,  with  dozens  and 
dozens  of  sharks  all  about  you.  Why,  man,  it  was 
superb  !  I  never  heard  of  such  a  feat !  " 

"  Oh,  don't,  Consul.  The  thing  is  over,  and  now  let 
it  rest.  If  good  has  come  of  it,  I  am  very  glad. 
Hart  knew  what  I  was  about.  He  knew  I  could  take 
care  of  myself  in  the  water.  He  saw  me  take  the 
knife." 

"  Yes,  maybe,"  said  Hartley,  with  a  shudder.  "  But 
I  would  not  have  let  you  jump  into  such  a  place  as 
that,  if  I  had  guessed  your  intention.  The  odds 
were  all  against  you." 

"  Well,  perhaps ;  but  here  I  am,  you  see,  alive  and 
well."  Hartley  made  no  reply,  but  drew  an  arm  still 
closer  about  his  brother's  neck  and  caressed  his 
hands,  as  they  lay  folded  in  his  lap.  A  tear  splashed 
down  upon  them,  and  Arthur  looked  up  quickly. 
"  Oh,  is  that  the  way  you  feel  about  it,  Hart  ? "  he 
whispered,  returning  the  caress.  "  Well,  after  this  I'll 
be  more  careful  of  myself." 

The  remainder  of  the  trip  was  accomplished  with 
out  incident,  and  as  soon  as  the  boat's  keel  grated  on 
the  sand,  the  Consul  had  Arthur  borne  to  the  agent's 
house,  where  he  was  at  once  put  to  bed,  though  much 
against  his  will.  "You  treat  me  like  a  baby,"  he 
protested.  "Why,  I'm  all  right.  Swallowed  some 


136  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

sea  water,  and  was  pretty  tired  when  you  pulled  me 
into  the  boat ;  but  the  water  was  warm,  and  no  harm 
will  come  from  the  ducking." 

"  This  is  our  house,  Mr.  Brown's  and  mine,"  replied 
the  Consul,  "  and  as  you  are  our  guest,  you  will  obey 
orders.  You  will  stay  abed  till  morning,  while  your 
clothes  are  being  dried  out ;  but  after  supper  we  will 
all  sit  around  and  tell  shark  stories,  to  keep  you  com 
pany  and  entertain  you,  if  you  like.  Bless  my  stars," 
he  added,  turning  to  Hartley,  "  you  boys  are  begin 
ning  to  assert  yourselves.  I  didn't  think  either  of 
you  had  the  least  bit  of  spunk,  but  here  your  brother 
jumps  overboard  to  save  the  life  of  a  worthless  fellow 
sent  on  purpose  to  spy  upon  you,  and  you  venture  to 
oppose  my  authority  and  encourage  him  in  his 
obstinacy."  The  Consul's  tone  was  severe,  but  there 
was  a  merry  twinkle  in  his  eyes  that  belied  his  words 
and  accents ;  so  the  boys  took  him  at  his  intention 
and  joined  in  the  raillery. 

"  I  think  we've  been  tied  to  your  apron-strings 
quite  long  enough,"  rejoined  Hartley.  "  It's  about 
time  we  were  up  and  doing  something  on  our  own 
account.  Now,  don't  you  think  so  ? " 

The  Consul  rubbed  his  chin  and  replied  slowly : 
"  Ye-es,  I  suppose  so  ;  but  as  I  said  before  once 
upon  a  time,  you'd  better  not  cut  loose  from  my  apron- 
strings,  as  you  call  them,  until  you  feel  quite  able  to 
take  care  of  yourselves.  I'm  not  a  betting  man,  but 
I'd  be  willing  to  wager  considerable  that  you  will  get 


One  Enemy  out  of  the  Way.  137 

into  some  terrible  scrape  or  other  before  the  month 
is  out." 

"  Well,  if  we  do  we  will  get  out  of  it  the  best  way 
we  can  ;  but  we  won't  send  for  you  until  we  have  to." 
Then  Hartley  continued  more  seriously,  "  We  owe  you 
now  more  than  we  can  ever  repay,  and  —  "  "  Non 
sense  !  "  interjected  the  Consul.  "You  don't  owe  me 
anything  !  Now  go  to  bed." 


XV. 

Stories  of  Ravenous  Sharks. 

BOTH  boys  were  awake  and  up  with  the  dawn, 
after  a  refreshing  sleep,  neither  any  the  worse 
for  the  exciting  adventures  of  the  night  before. 
They  strolled  out  through  the  open  doorway  to  the 
broad  veranda,  where  a  view  opened  before  them, 
comprising  the  great  bay  and  the  tent-like  mountain 
which  was  named  Monte  Cristi  by  Columbus.  Some 
have  compared  the  shape  of  this  strange  isolated 
peak  to  a  sail,  and  others  to  a  tent,  from  its  pointed 
summit  and  triangular  base.  It  is  a  noted  landmark 
and  can  be  seen  far  at  sea. 

It  was  here  that  the  recreant  companion  of  Colum 
bus,  Martin  Alonzo  Pinzon,  who  had  left  him  in  the 
Pinta  off  the  east  end  of  Cuba,  on  that  first  voy 
age  to  America,  rejoined  him  after  an  absence  of 
several  weeks.  So  the  mountain  and  the  bay  are 
historic,  connected  as  they  are  with  the  beginnings 
of  our  history.  They  are  not  so  beautiful  as  they  are 
striking,  for  the  rains  fall  seldom  here,  and  there  is 
very  little  vegetation  of  any  sort. 

But  in  the  light  of  early  morning,  with  the  sun's 
almost  level  rays  smiting  the  bare  sides  of  the  great 

138 


Stories  of  Ravenous  Sharks.  139 

pink  mountain,  the  waters  of  the  crescent-shaped  bay 
sparkling  and  baring  their  white  teeth  on  the  coral 
ledges,  and  the  myriad  sea  fowl  sailing  through  the 
air,  the  scene  was  superb. 

In  a  shaded  corner  of  the  veranda,  the  boys  came 
across  Mr.  Brown,  the  consular  agent,  sipping  his 
morning  coffee  and  glancing  over  some  accounts  at 
the  same  time.  He  welcomed  them  heartily,  and 
sending  a  small  black  boy  out  to  the  cook-house  for 
an  extra  supply  of  coffee,  invited  them  to  join  him. 

"  I  needn't  ask  you  how  you  feel,  after  your  scrap 
with  the  sharks,"  he  said  to  Arthur,  "for  you  are 
looking  well  this  morning.  But  that  was  a  narrow 
escape,  my  boy. 

"  Do  you  see  that  coral  reef  just  awash  out  there 
in  the  bay  ?  It  is  sometimes  covered  at  high  tides, 
but  is  safe  enough  to  land  on  in  calm  weather, 
when  the  fishermen  go  there  for  conchs  and  mussels. 
Well,  one  of  my  men  went  out  one  day,  and  after 
pulling  up  his  boat  on  the  reef,  left  it  to  look  for 
conchs.  He  was  gone  some  time,  and  when  he 
returned,  he  saw  his  boat  floating  away  quite  half  a 
mile  distant.  He  was  a  good  swimmer  and  would 
have  followed  her,  but  he  knew  the  water  was  full  of 
sharks,  and  was  afraid  to  venture.  Monte  Cristi  Bay 
has  the  worst  sharks  in  the  world,  I  really  believe, 
and  more  to  the  square  mile  than  any  other  body  of 
water  I  ever  heard  of.  Some  people  say  that  sharks 
won't  touch  a  man  in  the  water;  but  let  them  come 


140  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

down  here  and  try  it,  is  all  I  have  to  say.  I  guess  you 
can  give  an  opinion  about  the  man-eating  proclivities 
of  our  sharks,  can't  you,  young  man  ? " 

"  I  don't  want  to  come  any  nearer  to  testing  them 
than  I  have  already,"  answered  Arthur. 

"  No,  and  if  you  hadn't  been  keen  with  that  knife 
of  yours,  you  wouldn't  be  here  drinking  coffee  with 
me  this  morning,  I'll  be  bound. 

"Well,  as  I  was  saying,  the  man  was  afraid  to 
strike  out  for  the  boat,  and  as  there  were  other 
fishermen  afloat  on  the  bay  and  likely  to  pass  at  any 
time,  he  retreated  to  the  highest  part  of  the  reef  and 
sat  down  to  wait  for  relief.  But  pretty  soon  he  was 
driven  from  his  sitting  posture  by  a  wave  lapping 
against  his  seat,  and  sprang  up,  surprised  to  see  that 
the  reef  was  nearly  covered  by  water.  Only  a  nar 
row  ledge  remained  above  the  surface  then,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  even  that  was  under  water. 

"  And  the  mischief  of  it  was,  that  the  bay  was  alive 
with  sharks  all  around  the  reef.  They  seemed  to 
have  formed  a  cordon  about  it  for  the  purpose  of  cut 
ting  off  the  man's  escape.  He  saw  then  the  danger 
of  staying  much  longer  there,  and  yelled  with  all  his 
might  for  help,  at  the  same  time  splashing  the  water 
with  his  feet  and  hands  too,  in  the  vain  hope  of  scar 
ing  the  sharks  away.  But  the  more  he  splashed  and 
shouted,  the  closer  the  great  gray  monsters  came 
about  the  reef,  until  at  last  some  were  snapping  at 
his  very  heels. 


Stories  of  Ravenous  Sharks.  141 

"  Two  men  in  a  boat  happened  to  spy  him 
about  this  time  and  hastened  to  his  rescue;  but 
before  they  had  got  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
reef,  they  saw  a  huge  shark  turn  on  his  side  and 
force  himself  clean  up  on  the  reef  with  the  speed 
of  a  steamboat.  He  snatched  the  poor  fellow  by 
the  legs  and  dragged  him  into  the  water,  but  as  the 
momentum  of  his  rush  had  carried  him  high  up  into 
water  too  shallow  to  float  him  the  shark  could  not 
get  back  again,  and  just  lay  there,  shaking  the  miser 
able  victim  as  a  terrier  would  a  rat.  The  man's 
cries  were  heartrending,  but  they  soon  ceased,  for 
though  the  shark  that  had  caught  him  couldn't  back 
off  into  deep  water,  other  fiends  came  up  in  shoals, 
and  the  would-be  rescuers  were  so  frightened  when 
they  saw  them  churning  the  water  into  foam  and 
rending  their  comrade,  that  they  turned  about  and 
rowed  as  hard  as  they  could  for  the  shore. 

"  I  happened  to  be  looking  through  my  marine 
glasses  at  the  time  and  saw  the  latter  end  of  the 
fight,  which  so  incensed  me  that  I  ordered  my  boat, 
took  along  a  rifle  with  plenty  of  cartridges,  and  hur 
ried  out  to  the  reef.  When  we  got  within  rifle-shot 
I  saw  that  the  big  shark  was  still  stranded,  and 
couldn't  get  away,  —  at  least  not  until  the  tide  rose 
higher,  —  so  I  peppered  away  at  the  sharks  around 
the  reef  in  shallow  water,  and  before  long  had  sent 
more  than  two  dozen  of  them  to  their  last  accounts. 
Then  I  went  in  closer  and  put  a  ball  right  through 


142  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  monster  on  the  reef.  But  of  course  there  was 
no  vestige  remaining  of  its  victim,  for  the  other 
sharks  had  carried  off  every  bit  of  him,  even  torn 
his  clothing  to  pieces  and  taken  it  away  with  them 
to  fight  over.  So  I  had  a  sort  of  revenge,  you  see ; 
but  a  poor  sort,  since  it  didn't  bring  the  fisherman 
back  to  life. 

"  My  men  and  others  towed  the  dead  sharks  to 
shore  and  tried  out  their  oil,  which  is  excellent  for 
certain  purposes  and  brings  a  fair  price ;  and  finding 
there  was  some  money  in  the  business,  I  have  since 
continued  the  hunting  of  sharks  for  profit.  I  must 
have  shot  more  than  a  thousand  all  together,  but 
their  numbers  seem  hardly  to  have  diminished  at 
all.  There  appear  to  be  as  many  now  as  when  I 
came  here  six  years  ago,  or  when  I  began  to  shoot 
them,  which  was  two  years  ago.  I  suppose  they 
all  know  me  by  this  time,  though,  and  if  ever  they 
catch  me  in  the  water,  as  you  were  caught  last  night, 
I  wouldn't  give  much  for  my  chances." 

"  You  could  hardly  expect  much  mercy  to  be 
shown  you,  seems  to  me,"  said  Arthur,  "after  hav 
ing  given  no  quarter  to  the  sharks." 

"  Maybe  you're  right.  I've  thought  so  myself, 
and  I'm  going  to  get  out  of  this  horrid  place  as 
soon  as  I  can  wind  up  my  business  affairs.  That 
black  fisherman  was  not  the  only  man  I've  seen 
destroyed  by  those  sharks.  Only  last  steamer  day, 
for  instance,  one  of  the  sailors  aboard  a  lighter  that 


Stories  of  Ravenous  Sharks.  143 

was  loading  alongside  the  Spanish  line  steamer  fell 
overboard  and  sank  about  thirty  feet  or  so  before 
he  recovered  himself.  As  he  struck  out  for  the  sur 
face  a  shoal  of  sharks  darted  for  him  like  a  flock 
of  hawks  after  a  quail,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes 
hardly  a  shred  remained  of  the  unfortunate  sailor." 

" What's  this  I  hear?"  asked  some  one  in  the 
doorway.  "  Good  morning,  boys.  What  is  Brown 
doing  ?  Telling  shark  stories  ?  You  must  take  what 
he  says  '  cum  grano  salisj  you  know." 

As  the  Consul  joined  the  group  on  the  veranda, 
Mr.  Brown  entered  his  protest.  "  You  must  retract, 
Garland.  You  know  that  in  the  matter  of  sharks  and 
their  doings  here  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  exaggerate." 

"Very  well,  I  will,  if  you'll  give  me  a  cup  of 
coffee.  I  said  'cum  grano  salis?  didn't  I?  Well, 
that  means,  of  course,  with  a  grain  of  salt,  doesn't 
it  ?  And  I  fancy  there  are  several  grains  of  salt  in 
the  water  the  sharks  swim  in,  don't  you?  There,  is 
that  satisfactory?" 

"  Oh,  it  will  have  to  be,  I  suppose,"  rejoined  Mr. 
Brown.  "  But  since  you  have  tried  to  implant  a 
doubt  of  my  veracity  in  the  minds  of  our  young 
friends  here,  suppose  you  '  take  a  hand '  yourself. 
Come,  spin  us  a  yarn  of  your  own,  and  I'll  discount 
it  in  advance  by  declaring  that  for  astonishing  and 
credulity-taxing  statements  mine  won't  be  in  the  same 
class." 

"  Of  course  they  won't,  Brown.     Do  you  think  I 


144  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

am  going  to  cut  in  with  a  yarn  less  wonderful  than 
yours?     Not  I.     But  here   goes.     When  I  was   in 
Jamaica  a  few  years  ago,  —it  was  in  '91,  by  the  way, 
and  the  Jamaicans  had  an  exposition  of  the  island's 
resources,  —  one   of   the  things   that   impressed  me 
most  was  a  bundle  of  old  and  sea-stained  papers, 
which  had  once  been  the  records  of  an  American 
schooner,  the  crew  of  which  had  been  convicted  of 
piracy  and  hung.     It  seems  that  this  schooner  was 
fitted  out  in  the  Bahamas,  and  began  to  prey  upon 
the  commerce  of   the  Windward   Channel,  between 
this  island   and    Cuba.      A   British    man-of-war  was 
sent  in  pursuit  of  her,  and  the  chase  becoming  close, 
the  captain  of  the  schooner  threw  his  ship's  papers 
overboard,  in  order  that  there  might  be  no  incrimi 
nating  testimony  against  him.     But  he  and  his  crew 
of  seven  men  were  taken  into  Kingston,  Jamaica,  and 
there  an  admiralty  court  proceeded  to  try  them  for 
piracy. 

"The  penalty  for  piracy  on  the  high  seas  was  — 
and  is  now,  I  suppose  —  death,  by  hanging  at  the 
yard-arm ;  but  the  captain  of  the  schooner  conducted 
himself  with  perfect  coolness,  he  was  so  confident  that 
nothing  could  be  found  against  him,  and  the  judge 
was  about  to  acquit  him  and  his  crew  of  the  charges 
when  a  gun  was  heard  in  the  offing,  and  soon  after  a 
message  came  ashore  from  another  British  man-of- 
war  to  arrest  proceedings  until  certain  evidence  could 
be  offered. 


Stories  of  Ravenous  Sharks.  145 

"  Soon  after  an  officer  arrived  from  this  second 
warship  bearing  a  bundle  of  water-soaked  and  muti 
lated  papers  —  the  very  ones,  by  the  way,  that  I  saw 
at  the  exposition  —  and  laid  them  before  the  judge. 
When  they  were  opened  and  examined  they  proved 
to  be  the  very  papers  the  captain  of  the  schooner  had 
thrown  overboard,  and  which  now  appeared  in  this 
miraculous  manner  to  bear  witness  against  him  and 
send  him  to  the  gallows.  I  say  miraculous,  because 
the  manner  in  which  they  were  brought  to  light  was 
nothing  less  than  that.  It  seems  that  the  crew  of 
the  second  man-of-war  had  caught  a  shark  off  the 
coast  of  Haiti,  where  the  first  man-of-war  had  over 
hauled  the  schooner,  and  wishing  to  get  the  fish's 
liver  for  the  oil  it  contained,  they  cut  it  open.  And 
in  the  maw  of  the  shark  they  found  —  now,  what  do 
you  suppose  ?  Of  course  you  can't  guess,  and  I 
don't  like  to  say,  because  Brown  will  declare  I  am 
telling  a  story.  But  the  fact  is,  —  and  it  can  be 
attested  to  by  those  papers  themselves  and  the 
records  of  the  admiralty  court,  —  the  fact  is  that 
they  found  in  that  shark's  maw  that  veritable  bundle 
of  papers  thrown  overboard  by  the  unlucky  Yankee 
captain. 

"  He  was  a  cool  man,  was  that  captain  of  the 
schooner,  but  when  he  saw  those  papers  brought 
up  from  the  sea  to  bear  mute  witness  as  to  his  deeds, 
he  wilted  and  confessed.  He  was  a  brave  man, 
though,  and  in  his  way  honorable,  for  he  took  all 


146  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  blame  to  himself  and  tried  to  save  the  lives  of 
his  crew ;  but,  to  make  the  yarn  short,  they  were  all 
swung  off  from  the  masts  of  the  schooner  they  had 
used  as  a  pirate  vessel." 

"  I  suppose  we  are  to  believe  that  story  ? "  asked 
Mr.  Brown,  rather  scornfully. 

"  You  may  do  as  you  like,  but  it's  true,  —  that  is,  if 
ever  a  sea  yarn  can  be  true,  —  and  then  there  are  the 
papers  to  corroborate  it;  while  the  tales  you  have 
told  we  have  to  take  on  trust !  " 


XVI. 

Up  the  River  of  Golden  Sands. 

DID  you  ever  catch  me  in  an  untruth  ? "  asked 
Mr.  Brown,  stiffly. 

"  No,  I  never  did.  But  then,  you  know  that  when 
a  man  undertakes  to  tell  a  fish  story  he  can  rarely 
resist  the  inclination  to  tell  a  big  one." 

The  Consul's  eyes  twinkled  as  he  spoke,  but  Mr. 
Brown  seemed  to  think  the  banter  had  gone  far 
enough,  and  there  wasn't  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  but 
on  the  contrary  a  rather  cold  and  steely  glitter. 

The  boys  had  sat  silent  hitherto,  enjoying  the 
stories  and  the  remarks  of  the  fun-loving  Consul ; 
but  now  their  relations  seemed  to  be  so  strained  that 
they  felt  uneasy.  Arthur  was  pondering  upon 
whether  or  not  he  ought  to  interpose  when  the  Con 
sul  settled  the  matter  by  going  over  to  Mr.  Brown, 
putting  a  hand  on  his  shoulder,  and  saying : — 

"  Pardon  me,  friend,  I  didn't  mean  to  doubt  your 
word ;  but  you  ought  not  to  be  so  touchy.  I  know 
that  what  you  said  is  the  truth ;  and  I  also  know  that 
with  proper  encouragement  you  would  go  on  spin 
ning  fish  stories  all  the  day  long;  but  our  time  is 
valuable,  and  we  must  hie  ourselves  each  to  our 


148  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

respective  quarters.  I  suppose  you  got  my  letter 
before  the  steamer  sailed,  and  have  the  animals  ready, 
haven't  you  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  answered  Mr.  Brown,  the  frost  of  his  ill- 
humor  vanishing  before  the  sun  of  the  Consul's 
smiles.  "  The  young  men  may  set  off  to-day  if  they 
wish ;  though  I  should  like  them  to  stay  at  least  till 
to-morrow,  and  would  so  advise." 

"  Do  you  hear  that,  Arthur,  Hartley  ?  Brown  has  a 
pair  of  spirited  bullocks  all  ready  for  you  to  ride  on 
up  the  valley,  if  you  like,  to-day.  But  he  is  so  hos 
pitable  a  fellow  that  he  would  rather  you  would  stop 
a  week  or  two  with  him.  Cristi  society  isn't  so  very 
exacting  that  it  makes  any  great  demands  upon  his 
time,  and  I  fancy  he  would  rather  you  would  stay 
than  not." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  said  the  agent.  "  I  should  enjoy  a 
lengthy  visit,  if  they  can  put  up  with  my  accommo 
dations." 

"  We  should  like  to  stay,"  said  Arthur,  "  but  I  think 
we  really  ought  to  get  on.  However,  if  you  will  put 
up  with  us  till  to-morrow,  we  shall  make  an  early 
start,  provided  it  will  be  agreeable  to  all." 

"  Oh,  if  you  mean  me,  yes,"  remarked  the  Consul. 
"I  am  only  too  anxious  to  get  you  off  my  hands. 
You  can  outfit  right  here,  everything  you  will  need, 
as  Brown  owns  a  store,  and  has  orders  to  give  you 
unlimited  credit.  And  let  me  add  that  he  has  already 
bought  for  you  two  of  the  loveliest  buyes  (bullocks)  to 


Up  the  River  of  Golden  Sands.        149 

ride,  you  know,  and  as  pack-animals  with  '  aparejos '  or 
native  pack-saddles,  and  everything  complete,  so  at 
last  you'll  travel  in  style." 

"Then  we'll  surely  be  off  to-morrow,  thanks  to 
you  and  Mr.  Brown.  How  far  did  you  say  it  was  to 
the  Yanico,  where  we  turn  off  from  the  main  stream 
of  the  Yaqui  ?  " 

"  Why,  it's  about  a  hundred  miles ;  but  you  ought 
to  know,  for  you've  been  over  part  of  the  way." 

"  True,  but  we  cut  across  country  from  Isabella." 

"  So  you  did.  But  you  know,  of  course,  that  the 
first  part  of  the  journey  will  be  the  worst :  dry  as  a 
chip,  and  nothing  but  cactus  and  prickly  pear  for  the 
first  forty  miles  or  so.  About  twenty  miles  from  here 
you  strike  the  river  and  follow  it  up  until  you  get  to 
the  Cibao,  or  Country  of  Gold,  as  the  Indians  used  to 
call  it.  And  by  the  way,  of  course  you  know  the 
traditions  about  the  Yaqui;  how  it  was  called  the 
Rio  del  Oro,  or  River  of  Gold,  because  Columbus 
first  found  gold  in  its  sands.  It  was  after  he  had  left 
Navidad,  the  first  fort  he  erected  in  the  New  World, 
and  was  making  for  Monte  Cristi  —  this  very  spot. 
He  stopped  in  the  mouth  of  the  Yaqui  to  water  his 
vessels,  and  his  men  found  flakes  of  gold  clinging  to 
the  hoops  of  the  water  casks.  It  was  there,  also,  on 
his  return  voyage  a  year  later,  that  he  found  several 
bodies  of  dead  Spaniards  who  had  been  murdered  by 
the  Carib  cacique,  Caonabo,  having  been  left  by 
Columbus  to  guard  the  fort." 


15°  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"Yes,  indeed,  we  know  all  that,"  said   Hartley 
believe  we  know  the  history  of  this   island  by 
heart ;  and  to  tell  the  truth,  it  is  almost  as  fascinating 
to  us  as  the  prospect  of  finding  the  gold  mines,  to 
the  scenes  identified  with  Columbus  and  his  voy 
ages.     This  province  and  the  one  adjoining,  in  which 
Columbus  built  the  fort  of  Navidad  from  the  wreck- 
age  of  his  flag-ship,  belonged  to  the  cacique  Guaca- 
nagan,  who  received  the  Spaniards  with  open  arms 
and  gave  them  nearly  all  he  had. 

"At  first,  you  may  remember,  the  massacre  of  the 
forty  men  left  as  a  garrison  for  Fort  Navidad  was 
charged  to  Guacanagari;  but  after  a  while  it  leaked 
out  that  he  had  done  all  he  could  to  defend  the  fort, 
and  that  the  murders  were  committed  by  Caonabo' 
who  was  ruler  over  the  Cibao  country,  the  very  re 
gion  we  are  going  to  in  our  search  for  gold." 

"  More  than  that,  remember,"  broke  in  Arthur-  "it 
was  his  gold  that  Columbus  alludes  to  in  that  inscrip 
tion  on  the  silver  plate,  which  we  hope  has  given  us 
the  clew  to  his  treasure." 

:<  Yes,  don't  forget  that,"  cautioned  the  Consul. 
I  gave  you  the  translation  in  English,  for  you  to 
follow  and  consult,  and  if  you  go  by  it,  I  feel  sure 
you'll  be  successful.  If  it  should  chance  that  Lelee's 
men  capture  you,  be  sure  to  destroy  the  paper.  It  is 
very  thin,  and  you  might  swallow  it  as  a  last  resort 
But  I  don't  want  his  Excellency  to  get  it  and  benefit 
by  our  investigations." 


Up  the   River  of  Golden  Sands.         151 

"  He  shall  not,"  replied  Arthur.  "  I'll  commit  the 
directions  to  memory,  and  destroy  the  paper  at  the 
first  opportunity." 

"  Well,  that's  all,  then.  You  don't  need  any  cau 
tion  from  me  to  keep  a  lookout  for  enemies.  No 
body  will  bother  you,  except  it  may  be  some  emissary 
of  our  friend  the  President,  and  as  soon  as  I  return 
to  the  capital  I  shall  set  my  wits  to  work  to  forestall 
him." 

The  day  was  passed  in  preparing  for  the  morrow, 
and  when  it  dawned,  the  boys  were  ready  to  start  as 
soon  as  they  had  swallowed  their  morning  coffee. 

They  were  assisted  to  mount  their  respective  apa- 
rejos,  —  big  pack-saddles  made  of  straw,  and  which 
sat  astride  the  bullocks'  backs  like  immense  saw- 
horses,  and  made  all  the  higher  by  the  piles  of  lug 
gage  atop.  Besides  the  stuff  that  was  strapped 
across  the  aparejos,  other  articles,  as  for  instance  a 
rifle,  cutlass,  revolver,  tin  cup,  bag  of  provisions,  etc., 
were  hung  around  each  one,  making  the  whole  "  out 
fit"  look  exceedingly  picturesque,  indeed. 

The  buyes  were  docile  and  broken  to  the  saddle, 
so  the  boys  had  confidence  in  them  from  the  first. 
There  was  one  objectionable  feature,  however,  which 
they  resolved  to  remedy  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
that  was  the  mode  of  guiding  them,  by  means  of 
a  line  tied  to  a  ring  in  each  bullock's  nose.  It  seemed 
—  indeed  it  was  —  cruel  in  the  extreme ;  but  as  the 
bullocks  had  been  broken  to  that  kind  of  guidance, 


152  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

and  might  not  understand  any  other,  it  was  necessary 
to  continue  it,  at  least  for  the  time  being. 

The  Consul  and  Mr.  Brown  laughed  at  their  scru 
ples  as  they  rode  off,  telling  them  not  to  be  in  a  hurry 
to  break  their  "  steeds  "  to  another  style  of  driving, 
as  they  would  surely  miss  the  accustomed  ring  in  the 
nose  and  run  away  with  them. 

At  last,  with  an  Adios  from  the  Consul,  a  squeeze 
each  from  his  hand  and  "  God  be  with  you "  from 
Mr.  Brown,  the  boys  were  off,  their  bullocks'  noses 
pointed  mountainward.  The  sun  was  scarce  an 
hour  high,  and  cool  shadows  still  lingered  in  the 
hollows  between  the  bare,  brown  hills.  Parakeets 
chattered  in  the  tops  of  the  "  pitayhas,"  or  giant  cacti, 
mocking-birds  sang  melodiously  in  the  sparse  thickets, 
and  the  hearts  of  the  young  travellers  beat  hopefully 
in  unison  with  the  pulsings  of  nature. 

Their  bullocks  marched  on  with  stately  tread,  cov 
ering  a  great  deal  of  ground  without  apparent  effort ; 
but  their  gait  was  not  conducive  to  comfort,  perched 
as  their  riders  were,  high  up  on  a  pile  of  luggage,  and 
the  boys  felt  as  if  they  must  be  taking  their  first  ride 
on  "  ships  of  the  desert." 

Thus  they  travelled  until  near  noon,  when,  arriving 
at  a  spot  where  a  spring  sent  forth  a  little  stream 
beneath  a  spreading  mango  tree,  and  a  circlet  of 
grass  was  set  like  an  emerald  in  the  brown  earth 
around  it,  they  halted  for  rest  and  refreshment. 
They  had  seen  no  people  within  hail,  and  were  glad 


Up  the  River  of  Golden  Sands.         153 

of  it,  for  they  did  not  wish  to  make  acquaintances 
at  this  stage  of  their  journey.  Their  provisions  were 
ample  for  at  least  two  weeks,  and  so  long  as  they 
could  find  springs  of  clear  water  at  intervals,  like  this 
one  beneath  the  mango  tree,  they  were  quite  content. 

But  it  was  one  thing  to  say  dismount,  and  quite 
another  to  get  down  from  their  lofty  perches.  The 
bullocks  were  tractable  enough,  generally  speaking, 
but  the  sight  of  grass  and  water  set  them  almost 
frantic.  They  poked  their  noses  into  the  water  and 
pawed  up  the  grass,  in  their  endeavors  to  satisfy  thirst 
and  hunger  at  the  same  time,  and  as  the  boys  did  not 
like  to  tug  too  strongly  at  the  lines  attached  to  their 
muzzles  for  fear  of  lacerating  them,  they  were  for  a 
while  in  a  quandary.  At  last  Arthur  said :  "  Look 
here,  Hart.  One  or  the  other  has  to  be  master,  and 
if  the  bullocks  get  the  notion  that  they  can  manage 
us  they  certainly  will  do  so.  I'm  going  to  pull  up 
my  bullock's  head,  if  it  takes  his  nose  off.  You  bear 
witness  now  that  I  gave  him  warning.  Hold  up,  old 
fellow ;  whoa,  there  !  Confound  him,  he  doesn't  un 
derstand  English ;  but  I  guess  he  will  understand 
that  I  can  make  him  'walk  Spanish,'  if  he  doesn't 
mend  his  ways.  There,  I've  got  his  head  up,  and  I'm 
going  to  hitch  it  to  this  branch,  so  that  he  can't  get 
away  until  I  dismount." 

The  bullock  shook  his  head  and  tossed  his  horns 
wildly  about  in  a  menacing  manner,  but  Arthur  paid 
no  attention  to  his  demonstrations  until  he  had  finally 


154  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

slid  down  from  his  pack-saddle  and  alighted  on  the 
ground.  Then  for  a  few  minutes  he  was  too  stiff  to 
move,  but  when  he  had  got  the  ten  "  kinks  "  out  of 
his  legs,  he  went  over  and  held  Hartley's  bullock  by 
the  head  while  his  brother  got  to  the  ground,  where 
he  fell  all  in  a  heap,  so  cramped  was  he  from  his 
long  ride. 

"  Dear  me,  Art,  I  didn't  think  I  was  so  stiff.  But 
when  we  look  back  and  find  we've  ridden  ever  since 
six  o'clock,  and  it  is  now  near  noon,  it's  no  wonder, 
after  all.  How  many  miles  have  we  covered,  do  you 
think  ? " 

"About  thirty,  I  fancy,"  replied  Arthur.  "Just 
help  me  loosen  the  saddle,  will  you  ?  I'm  afraid  to 
take  it  off  altogether,  lest  we  shan't  be  able  to  get 
it  on  again.  That's  it;  now  let's  do  it  to  yours,  and 
then  peg  out  the  beasts  to  get  a  nip  of  grass.  They 
ought  to  be  tired,  but  really  they  don't  look  so.  I 
believe,  Hart,  we've  got  a  pair  of  real  treasures  in 
these  bullocks,  they  are  so  tractable  and  kind,  and  so 
willing,  too.  I  don't  believe  they  would  run  away 
from  us,  even  if  we  didn't  tie  them.  Hi  there,  whoa, 
I  tell  you !  "  This  to  his  bullock,  who  had  suddenly 
tossed  his  head  and  started  off  up  the  road,  as  if  a 
flight  of  hornets  were  after  him.  As  the  saddle  was 
loosened  it  began  to  sway,  then  to  work  toward  the 
bullock's  tail,  and  at  last  toppled  over,  pack  and  all, 
in  the  dust,  receiving  a  contemptuous  kick  from  the 
animal  as  it  reached  the  ground. 


Up  the  River  of  Golden  Sands.        155 

"  There !  Isn't  that  enough  to  provoke  a  saint  ?  " 
exclaimed  Arthur.  "  Tie  your  beast  up,  quick,  or  he 
will  follow  after,  it's  likely.  Mine  is  nearly  out  of 
sight,  but  I'm  going  to  try  to  catch  him  just  the 
same.  Wait  here;  and  while  I'm  gone,  open  the 
hamper  and  set  out  a  lunch."  So  saying,  Arthur 
darted  after  his  bullock,  who  was  trotting  over  the 
crest  of  a  hill  some  distance  off. 

He  was  out  of  breath,  and  very  much  out  of 
patience,  when  he  reached  the  hilltop,  and  he  stopped 
to  rest  before  pursuing  his  recreant  beast  any  far 
ther.  The  road  plunged  downward  into  a  thicket  of 
mesquit  trees,  out  of  which,  at  the  moment  he  set 
forth  again,  came  tearing  a  horse  with  a  girl  on  its 
back.  It  was  evidently  a  runaway,  as  the  rider 
seemed  to  have  lost  all  control  over  it.  The  steep 
ness  of  the  hill  caused  it  to  slacken  its  terrific  pace  a 
bit,  and  as  it  reached  the  crest,  Arthur  sprang  for 
ward  and  aimed  to  grasp  it  by  the  bridle. 


XVII. 

A  Poet  of  the  Sierras. 

THE  bridle-rein  was  broken  and  hung  loose. 
Missing  his  grasp  at  the  bridle,  Arthur  yet 
managed  to  seize  the  trailing  rein,  and  twisting  it 
about  his  wrist  braced  himself  for  a  shock,  as  the 
horse  continued  to  dart  onward. 

When  the  shock  came  the  horse  was  whirled  half 
around,  bringing  the  boy  against  its  shoulder;  but 
he  instantly  recovered  himself  and  got  a  grip  on 
the  animal's  nose,  soon  stopping  its  career.  He 
was  dragged  a  hundred  yards  or  so  in  the  process, 
but  contrived  to  keep  clear  of  the  horse's  hoofs, 
though  he  was  pretty  well  out  of  breath  when  at 
last  he  triumphed  and  the  beast  came  to  a  stand 
still. 

Then  he  had  occasion  to  note  what  manner  of 
a  rider  it  was  who  had  kept  the  saddle  during  the 
struggle,  and  saw  that  it  was  a  very  pretty  Domini 
can  girl,  about  fifteen  years  of  age.  She  had  lost 
control  over  her  horse  by  the  breaking  of  the  bridle- 
rein,  but  had  kept  her  seat  by  clinging  to  the  animal's 
mane.  As  afterward  proved,  she  was  a  consum 
mately  skilful  rider,  and  was  much  ashamed  of 

156 


A  Poet  of  the  Sierras.  157 

her  misadventure.  But  she  was  very  grateful  to 
her  rescuer,  and  told  him  so  in  well-chosen  Spanish, 
as  she  gathered  up  the  loosened  coils  of  her  jet-black 
hair  and  gathered  into  her  hands  the  reins  he  had 
repaired. 

"  Gracias,  senor,  mil  gracias,  —  thanks,  sir,  a  thou 
sand  thanks,  —  I  cannot  tell  you  how  grateful  I  am. 
My  papa,  who  is  somewhere  behind,  will  soon  be 
here,  I  hope,  and  add  his  thanks  to  mine." 

"But  it  is  hot,  senorita,"  said  Arthur.  "You  will 
not  think  of  travelling  farther  in  the  sun,  I  trust. 
Beneath  yonder  tree  my  brother  and  I  were  about 
preparing  lunch  awhile  ago,  and  if  you  will  join  us 
we  should  be  glad  to  have  your  company  — at  least 
till  your  father  arrives." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  senor,  and  I  will  accept  your 
invitation,"  replied  the  girl,  frankly,  and  with  a  smile 
which  showed  two  rows  of  beautiful  teeth.  "But 
first  tell  me,  is  that  not  your  beast  on  the  road  beyond 
the  mesquit  trees  ?  And  you  were  trying  to  catch  it, 
were  you  not  ?  I  thought  so.  But  let  me  tell  you, 
he  will  never  allow  you  to  come  up  with  him  on  foot. 
As  a  slight  return  for  your  kindness  to  me  I  am  go 
ing  after  him  myself,  and  if  you  will  wait  here  will 
soon  have  him  back  again." 

With  that  the  girl,  who  had  her  horse  now  well  in 
hand,  wheeled  about  before  the  astonished  lad  could 
offer  a  protest,  and  was  off  at  a  gallop  after  the  bul 
lock.  She  had  a  short-handled,  long-lashed  whip  at 


158  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

her  saddle-bow,  and  when  she  came  up  with  the  bul 
lock  she  plied  it  so  skilfully  that  he  was  only  too  glad 
to  turn  about  and  go  wheresoever  she  desired.  Not 
many  minutes  elapsed  before  he  came  trotting  on 
ahead  of  her  horse,  and  when  he  arrived  opposite 
the  mango  tree  where  his  mate  was  tethered,  he 
turned  in  there  of  his  own  accord  and  suffered  him 
self  to  be  tied  up  without  a  struggle. 

It  may  well  be  imagined  that  young  Hartley  was 
very  much  astonished  to  see  this  young  girl  on  horse 
back  come  dashing  up  to  the  camp,  and  he  was  so  very 
much  surprised  that  he  simply  stood  and  stared  at 
her,  until  his  brother's  laugh  reminded  him  of  his 
unintentional  rudeness.  Then  he  ran  forward  and 
held  her  horse  while  Arthur  assisted  her  to  dismount. 
That  is,  offered  to  assist  her,  but  she  declined  his 
proffered  hand  with  a  pretty  gesture,  and  gathering 
up  her  skirts  leaped  unassisted  to  the  ground. 

"  I  am  under  obligations  to  you  both,"  she  said 
with  a  graceful  courtesy,  "first  for  the  rescue,  and 
now  for  the  lunch,  for  I  am,  oh,  so  hungry !  "  She 
said  this  with  such  a  winning  smile  that  the  boys 
liked  her  at  once,  and  voted  her  a  good  comrade. 

"  What  a  pity  she  isn't  a  boy,  she  seems  so  jolly 
and  companionable,"  said  Hartley  to  his  brother,  in 
an  aside. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  replied  Arthur,  with  the  con 
scious  superiority  of  an  elder  brother.  "  I  suppose 
she  thinks  she  ought  to  appear  as  jolly  as  possible 


A  Poet  of  the  Sierras.  159 

under  the  circumstances.  Now  we  must  get  out  the 
very  best  we  have  in  the  line  of  eatables  and  give 
her  a  good  lunch.  She's  a  cute  little  thing,  isn't  she, 
with  her  cheeks  like  russet  apples  and  her  big  brown 
eyes?  And  she's  quite  bright,  too." 

It  was  a  merry  lunch  the  trio  had  under  the 
mango  tree,  with  the  sun  creating  a  heat  like  that  of 
a  furnace  outside  the  shade  in  contrast  with  the  cool 
ness  within.  The  little  lady  did  not  seem  much  con 
cerned  about  the  tardy  arrival  of  her  father,  only 
once  saying :  — 

"  Won't  he  be  surprised  to  see  me  in  the  company 
of  two  Americanos  ? "  She  had  ascertained  that 
they  were  from  the  United  States,  and  was  curious 
about  that  country,  which  she  had  never  seen.  "Is 
it  true,"  she  asked  quite  seriously,  "that  the  Yan 
kees  are  nearly  all  ladrones  —  robbers  —  and  that 
they  want  to  steal  our  beautiful  island  ? " 

"Why,  no,"  answered  Arthur,  laughing  at  the 
absurdity  of  the  question.  "  We  are  not  thieves ; 
we  never  stole  a  thing  in  our  lives." 

"  Oh,  no,  of  course  not.  But  I  mean  as  a  nation. 
My  papa  says  the  Americanos  will  never  be  satisfied 
until  they  have  taken  this  island  away  from  us,  as 
they  took  Porto  Rico  and  Cuba  away  from  the 
Spaniards." 

"  Ah,  you  may  not  understand,"  said  Hartley, 
"  that  we  went  to  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  to  free  the 
people  there,  and  not  to  enslave  them.  We  drove 


160  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

out  the  Spaniards,  to  be  sure,  but  only  that  the 
natives  might  have  greater  liberty.  Our  country  is 
one  of  the  grandest  on  earth.  It  stands  for  freedom 
and  equality,  and  that  is  more  than  you  have  here,  if 
all  reports  are  true." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  she  admitted  with  a  sigh.  "  Now 
my  papa  has  been  put  in  jail  by  —  but  I  must  not 
speak  his  name,  because  —  because  — 

"  Because  he  is  the  President/'  said  Hartley,  hotly. 

"Yes,  how  did  you  know?"  she  asked  in  surprise. 

Hartley  was  about  to  answer  indiscreetly,  Arthur 
feared,  so  he  placed  a  warning  finger  to  his  lips,  and 
answered  for  him.  "  Oh,  we  Yankees  are  good  at 
guessing,  you  know." 

"  Are  you  ?  Then  perhaps  you  can  guess  what 
my  papa's  profession,  is.  No,  you  never  could,  so  I 
am  going  to  tell  you  :  he  is  a  poet." 

"A  poet!"  exclaimed  the  boys,  in  surprise,  that 
being  the  last  profession  they  would  have  thought  of, 
certainly,  in  this  wilderness,  barren  of  literature  and 
patrons  of  the  muses. 

"  Yes,  a  poet,"  she  repeated,  nodding  her  head 
gravely.  "  But,  do  you  know,  I  fear  he  does  not  get 
rewarded  properly,  for  nobody  buys  his  poetry  and 
he  has  to  publish  it  all  himself." 

"  That  is  discouraging,"  said  Arthur,  sympatheti 
cally  ;  "  but  I  suppose  the  reason  is  that  there  are 
very  few  literary  people  on  the  island,  and  conse 
quently  no  demand  for  poetry." 


A  Poet  of  the  Sierras.  161 

"  Oh,  do  you  think  so  ? "  asked  the  girl,  her  face 
lighting  up.  "  Then  it  is  not  because  his  poetry  is 
poor,  is  it?  " 

"I'm  sure  it  is  not,"  said  Arthur,  "though  I  have 
not  seen  it ;  but  if  I  should  see  it  I  should  not  be 
qualified  to  judge,  because  I  am  not  a  Spanish 
scholar." 

"  Papa  thinks  he  has  a  divine  mission,  you  know, 
to  elevate  and  refine  the  people,  and  it  was  because 
of  this  that  the  President  put  him  in  jail.  He  said 
he  did  not  want  the  people  refined  or  elevated,  for 
the  more  they  knew  the  worse  it  was  for  them ;  that 
they  got  meddling  in  politics  when  they  had  a  little 
learning.  And  he  said  papa's  head  was  getting  hot, 
so  he  would  put  him  in  jail  awhile  to  let  it  cool  off. 
Lelee  seemed  to  think  that  was  a  great  joke ;  but  it 
was  no  joke  for  us,  I  assure  you,  as  when  papa  was 
in  jail  we  had  very  little  to  eat  Not  that  we  have 
any  too  much  at  any  time,  though,  for  he  is  so 
absorbed  in  his  poetry  that  sometimes  he  forgets  to 
eat,  and  of  course  he  forgets  all  about  us,  too.  But 
he  really  doesn't  mean  to,  for  he  is  the  kindest  old 
papa  in  all  the  world.  And  here  he  comes,  too. 
You  must  go  out  into  the  road,  one  of  you,  and  stop 
him,  for  he  is  in  one  of  his  absent-minded  fits  and 
will  go  right  on  if  you  don't." 

Hartley  sprang  up  and  ran  out  into  the  road.  As 
he  seized  the  horse's  bridle,  the  poet  looked  up 
absently  and  exclaimed  :  — 


1 62  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  What,  are  there  highwaymen  on  this  road  ?  Let 
me  go,  sir,  for  I  have  no  money,  and  my  business  is 
urgent.  Let  me  go." 

He  looked  neither  alarmed  nor  even  surprised, 
only  perturbed  ;  but  it  was  not  until  his  daughter  ran 
out  and  greeted  him  that  he  could  be  made  to  under 
stand  the  situation.  "  Why,  Rita,  is  this  you  ? "  he 
exclaimed.  "  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  I  thought 
you  were  riding  behind  me  on  little  black  Jess." 

"  So  I  was,  papa,"  replied  the  girl,  "  until  my  rein 
broke  and  Jessica  ran  away.  Don't  you  remember 
seeing  me  fly  by  you,  long  ago  ?  " 

"Ah,  yes,  now  I  recall  the  circumstances,  but  I 
thought  you  were  only  having  a  frolic.  But  how  is 
it  you  are  with  these  young  men  ?  And  foreigners, 
too.  What  are  their  names,  my  daughter  ?  " 

"I  —  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  girl,  in  some  con 
fusion.  "  It  was  by  accident  we  met.  This  gentle 
man  caught  Jessica  and  probably  saved  me  from  a 
bad  fall,  while  this  other,  the  younger,  invited  me  to 
stay  with  them  until  you  came  and  have  something 
to  eat.  And,  papa,  I  was  so  very  hungry  that  — 
that  —  I  know  it  was  not  quite  proper  —  but  I  just 
had  to  accept  his  invitation  or  I  should  have  fainted." 

"  My  poor  little  girl.  What  a  brute  is  your  old 
father.  I  quite  forgot,  indeed  I  forgot,  that  we  had 
not  eaten  since  yesterday." 

The  poet  dismounted,  and  taking  his  daughter's 
face  tenderly  between  his  hands  imprinted  a  kiss  on 


A  Poet  of  the  Sierras.  163 

either  cheek.  Then  he  suffered  the  boys  to  lead  the 
way  to  their  camp,  where  they  introduced  themselves 
—  but  not  until  after  they  had  set  some  food  before 
him  and  insisted  upon  his  eating. 

"  Ha,  Americanos  ? "  he  said,  with  a  gleam  of 
pleasure  in  his  eyes.  "  Your  country  is  one  I  have 
always  desired  to  visit  from  my  earliest  youth.  It  is 
a  great  country,  a  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of 
honesty.  Oh,  if  I  could  end  my  days  in  such  a  land ! 
What  would  I  give  if  but  my  children  could  be  reared 
and  educated  there !  Here  all  is  darkness ;  there  all 
is  light !  " 

"  Why  don't  you  go  there  ?  "  asked  Arthur.  "  We 
have  plenty  of  room." 

"Too  old,  too  poor,"  said  the  poet,  mournfully, 
shaking  his  head.  "  Too  old  and  too  poor.  But  if 
I  were  young  I  should  go.  If  I  were  young." 

"  Still,  the  winters  are  cold  in  the  States,"  said 
Hartley.  "You  might  miss  the  perpetual  sunshine 
of  this  island." 

"True,  I  might,  for  a  while.  But  sunshine  is  of 
the  soul,  not  an  external  product.  The  sun  shines 
steadily  here,  as  you  say ;  but  it  cannot  dissipate  the 
darkness  of  ignorance  and  superstition.  The  first 
settlers,  the  Spaniards,  left  us  a  legacy  of  sin  and 
hate,  inasmuch  as  they  murdered  the  poor  Indians, 
who  never  did  them  harm,  and  compelled  them  to 
toil  to  their  deaths  in  the  mines.  And  that  legacy  is 
ours  yet.  Only  the  great  Father  knows  when  it  will 


164  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

be  removed.     But,  by  the  way,  have  you  seen  the 
President  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Arthur,  "  and  felt  his  power." 

"  Ha  !  so  his  heavy  hand  fell  on  you,  even  you, 
freemen  of  a  free  land  ?  Who  then  shall  escape  him  ? 
But  what  think  you  of  him  ?  " 

Arthur  and  Hartley  looked  at  each  other,  then  at 
the  poet. 

"  We  have  our  opinion,"  said  Arthur,  "but  it  does 
not  seem  to  me  that  this  is  the  time  or  place  to 
express  it,  if  you  will  excuse  us." 

"  So  you  are  cautious,  you  are  afraid.  True,  the 
burnt  child  dreads  the  fire.  I  do  not  blame  you. 
Besides,  you  do  not  know  but  that  I  may  be  a  spy  of 
his.  Is  not  that  so  ?  " 

"  We  have  heard  that  he  has  such  creatures," 
replied  Arthur,  "but  we  have  no  thought  that  you 
may  be  one.  Still,  as  we  are  in  Lelee's  country,  it 
behooves  us  to  hold  our  peace,  does  it  not  ?  " 

"You  are  right,  it  does.  But  I  will  not  keep 
silence,  even  though  he  imprison  me  a  second  time." 

"  Papa,  papa,  hush  !  "  It  was  the  girl  who  spoke. 
"  Look !  look  there,  up  in  the  tree,  right  over  our 
heads !  A  man,  a  black  man,  and  he  has  a  gun  ! " 

"  Child,  it  cannot  be.  You  are  mistaken,"  cried 
the  poet,  in  astonishment.  "  But  no,  you  are  right, 
and  it  is  our  old  neighbor,  Simon  Sam,  who  betrayed 
me  to  the  council.  Now,  indeed,  my  revenge  has 
come,  for  his  life  is  given  into  my  hands  !  " 


XVIII. 

The  Man  in  a  Mango  Tree. 

ARTHUR'S  rifle  leaned  against  a  tree,  seeing 
which  the  poet  seized  and  pointed  it  at  the 
man  overhead,  who,  though  he  had  a  gun  in  his 
hands,  shouted,  "  Don't  shoot,  I  will  come  down." 

"That  you  will,"  retorted  the  poet  "You  will 
come  down,  after  I  have  sent  a  bullet  through  you, 
villain !  " 

"  But  don't  do  that,  Alessandro  Alix ;  remember 
I  am  your  nearest  neighbor  in  Santiago.  I  have 
never  harmed  you,  Alessandro." 

"  Oh,  I  remember.  True,  you  have  never  harmed 
me  bodily,  but  you  made  such  representations  to  the 
President  as  caused  him  to  arrest  me;  and  now 
your  time  has  come." 

"  Oh,  stay,  don't  shoot  the  fellow,"  said  Arthur, 
laying  a  hand  on  Don  Alessandro's  arm.  "I 
wouldn't  if  I  were  you." 

"Yes  you  would,  sefior.  You  would,  if  you  had 
suffered  what  I  have  from  this  man.  Now  I  am 
going  to  pull  trigger.  Say  your  prayers,  Simon 
Sam,  for  your  last  hour  has  come." 

"  Oh,  yow,  yow ! "  yelled  the  man  in  the  tree. 
"  Don't  cut  me  off  in  the  midst  of  my  promising 

165 


1 66  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

career.  Senor  Americano,  intercede  for  me,  will 
you  not?  Recall  me,  I  saw  you  at  the  capital." 

"  Yes,  I  recall  that  you  were  in  command  of  troops 
sent  to  arrest  me,  just  before  we  were  cast  into 
prison.  I  know  no  good  of  you,  sir,  and  if  Don 
Alessandro  desires  to  shoot  you,  I  shall  not  do  any 
thing  to  prevent  him." 

"  Yow  !  yow  !  murder  !  help  !  "  the  man's  voice 
rang  out,  but  no  answering  call  assured  him  of  aid. 
His  hands  shook  so  that  the  rifle  he  held  fell  and 
came  clattering  to  the  ground. 

"  Papa,  dear,  do  not  kill  him,"  entreated  the  girl. 
"You  have  never  shed  human  blood  in  your  life, 
remember.  Do  not  stain  your  soul  with  it  now,  dear, 
dear  papa,  I  entreat  you  !  " 

"  I  care  not,"  answered  the  poet  to  this  appeal. 
"  The  fellow  deserves  death.  Now  I  am  going  to 
fire!  Stand  back,  all  of  you." 

There  was  a  howl  from  the  man  in  the  tree,  and 
a  shriek  from  the  girl;  but  the  two  Americans 
viewed  the  prospect  of  the  coming  tragedy  with 
strange  composure.  As  Senorita  Rita  turned  to 
them  for  assistance  in  preventing  her  father  from 
committing  the  crime,  she  was  astonished  to  see 
them  smile  broadly ;  in  fact,  they  seemed  on  the 
verge  of  bursting  into  laughter. 

Seeing  her  look  of  wonderment,  Arthur  stepped 
to  her  side  and  whispered,  "  Don't  agitate  yourself, 
your  father  will  not  shoot." 


The  Man  in  a  Mango  Tree.  167 

"  Not  shoot  ?  But  he  will.  He  is  in  earnest. 
See  him  now." 

"  Yes,  he  may  be  in  earnest,  but,  —  but  in  the  first 
place  he  doesn't  know  anything  about  a  rifle,  and  in 
the  second  that  rifle  is  not  loaded.  There,  now  you 
know  why  we  are  amused,  instead  of  alarmed." 

But  the  little  lady  did  not  view  the  affair  as  a 
joking  matter  at  all.  She  looked  at  the  boys  re 
proachfully  and  said :  "  But  you  saw  that  man  had 
a  gun.  Suppose  he  had  shot  my  father  ?  He  could 
have  done  nothing,  with  a  rifle  unloaded.  Papa 
might  have  been  killed." 

Arthur  and  Hartley  exchanged  glances.  "Tell 
her,  Hart,"  said  the  former;  and  so  the  younger  boy 
addressed  himself  to  the  girl :  "  Senorita,  you  may 
not  have  noticed  that  each  of  us  has  kept  one  hand 
in  the  right  pocket  of  his  blouse,  during  this  inter 
view  with  the  man  in  the  tree,  and  in  that  hand  each 
of  us  grasped  —  " 

"  Saints  preserve  us,"  shrieked  the  girl,  for  at  the 
last  word  Hartley  uttered,  he  and  Arthur  had  with 
drawn  their  hands  from  their  pockets,  quick  as 
a  flash,  and  each  hand  held  a  revolver. 

"These  are  loaded,"  said  Hartley,  significantly, 
"  though  the  rifle  was  not ;  and  if  that  man  up  there 
overhead  had  made  a  single  movement  endangering 
your  father's  life,  we  should  have  filled  him  with  lead 
before  he  could  have  said  'Jack  Robinson.'" 

"  Ye-es,"  rejoined  the  girl,  hesitatingly,  now  recov- 


1 68  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

ered  from  her  fright,  "  but  he  might  not  have  said 
'Yack  Robeenson.'  " 

"Just  the  same,"  said  Hartley,  "we  should  have 
had  the  '  drop '  on  him,  sure  as  fate,  for  these  re 
volvers  are  self-cockers  and  can  almost  go  off  them 
selves.  Let  me  show  you,  for  instance." 

He  tossed  his  hat  into  the  air  and  bang,  bang,  bang, 
bang,  bang,  spoke  his  revolver,  to  an  accompaniment 
of  shrieks  from  the  girl,  who,  though  she  had  stopped 
her  ears  with  her  fingers,  kept  her  big  brown  eyes 
fastened  on  the  hat  in  the  air.  As  it  fell  to  the 
ground  she  ran  and  picked  it  up,  examined  it  care 
fully,  and  then  turned  to  the  boy  with  an  expression 
of  wonder  on  her  pretty  face. 

"How  did  you  do  it?"  she  asked;  "and  all  the 
time  it  was  up  there  in  the  air,  too  !  There  were  five 
reports,  for  I  heard  them,  and  there  are  five  holes  in 
the  hat."  She  poked  a  slender  finger  through  every 
hole  as  she  counted,  in  Spanish :  "  Uno,  dos,  tres, 
qnatro,  cinco,  —  one,  two,  three,  four,  five,"  —  then 
added :  "  Can  your  brother  do  that,  too  ?  Can  he 
shoot  a  hat  full  of  holes  when  it  is  up  in  the  air  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed.     Can't  you,  Art  ?  " 

"  Reload  your  revolver,  Hart,  and  I  will,  just  to 
please  her.  " 

Hart  understood.  It  might  not  do  to  have  both 
revolvers  empty  at  the  same  time ;  so  he  reloaded 
and  then  gave  the  command  to  fire. 

"  Whose  hat  ?  "  asked  Arthur,  with  a  comical  smile. 


The   Man  in  a  Mango  Tree.  169 

"  Why,  yours,  of  course.  Mine  is  well  ventilated 
already." 

"  Yes,  but  mine  is  newer  than  yours ;  and  hats 
don't  grow  on  bushes  in  this  country,  you  know.  It 
may  be  long  before  I  find  another." 

"  What  a  cheese-paring  old  Yankee  you  are,  Art 
Strong,"  retorted  Hartley.  "No,  you  will  use  your 
hat  or  none.  Hi!  What's  up?"  For  Arthur  had 
suddenly  spun  around  on  his  heel  and  took  a  flying 
shot  at  their  erstwhile  prisoner  in  the  tree,  who,  taking 
advantage  of  their  preoccupation,  had  slid  silently  to 
the  ground  and  run  off  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry 
him. 

The  poet,  finding  he  could  not  work  the  rifle,  had  sat 
down  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  and  lost  himself  in  a 
study  of  its  mechanism,  for  the  time  forgetting  his 
bloodthirsty  desire  to  wreak  vengeance  on  his  enemy 
up  aloft.  Then,  when  the  pistol-shooting  began  he 
became  absorbed  in  that,  and  watched  the  contest 
eagerly,  without  another  thought  of  cunning  Simon 
Sam. 

Following  the  report  of  Arthur's  revolver  came  a 
howl  of  anguish  from  the  escaping  prisoner,  who 
promptly  fell  to  the  ground,  where  he  lay  prone, 
twitching  convulsively. 

"  Oh,  Art,  you  haven't  killed  him,  have  you  ? " 

"  Killed  him  ?  No,  of  course  not.  I  merely  plugged 
his  hat.  You  see  you  were  rather  premature  when 
you  said  it  was  your  hat  or  none  !  " 


170  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  Yes,  I  know,  Art,  you  are  a  good  shot ;  but  look 
at  the  man.  Why,  he  seems  mortally  hurt.  You 
must  have  touched  his  cranium." 

"  He's  shamming.  Tell  the  poet  to  go  out  and 
bring  him  in,  while  I  keep  him  covered  with  my 
revolver." 

The  poet  did  as  commanded,  but  he  trod  very  gin 
gerly  when  he  approached  the  seeming  corpse,  and 
when  he  touched  it  on  the  shoulder  and  it  turned  over 
and  groaned,  he  leaped  into  the  air  as  though  hit  by  a 
live  electric  wire. 

"  Dear  me,  he  isn't  dead,"  he  cried  out.  "  Poof  !  I 
thought  you  had  settled  him,  once  for  all."  As  the 
man  wouldn't  get  up,  but  persisted  in  lying  there, 
giving  utterance  to  most  dismal  groans  the  while,  the 
poet  rolled  him  over  and  over  in  the  dust,  while  he 
searched  for  a  wound. 

"  This  is  strange,"  he  said,  as  the  other  members  of 
the  party  now  came  on  the  scene.  "There  isn't  a 
drop  of  blood,  and  no  sign  of  a  hurt/' 

"  Perhaps  he  is  bleeding  internally,"  suggested  his 
daughter,  timidly,  her  woman's  sympathy  aroused,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  man  was  her  father's 
enemy. 

"  Not  at  all,"  declared  Arthur,  spurning  the  man 
with  his  foot.  "  He's  playing  possum,  that's  all. 
Get  up,  you  coward,"  he  commanded. 

The  man  slowly  scrambled  to  his  feet,  snivelling 
and  groaning. 


The  Man  in  a  Mango  Tree.  171 

"Now,"  said  Arthur,  "if  you  want  to  find  this 
man's  wound,  look  in  his  hat,"  pointing  to  that 
article  lying  at  one  side  the  road. 

The  poet  picked  it  up  and  examined  it  attentively. 
"  Why,"  he  said,  with  the  air  of  one  making  a  great 
discovery,  "  there's  a  hole  in  it." 

"  And  my  brother  made  it  with  a  bullet,"  said 
Hartley. 

"  Made  it  with  a  bullet  ?  What,  did  he  do  that 
when  Simon  Sam  was  running  at  full  speed  ?  Did 
he  spare  him  purposely  ? " 

"  Certainly  he  did.  Would  you  have  had  him  kill 
the  man  ? " 

" Ahem,"  said  the  poet,  "I  —  that  is  —  well,  no ; 
but,  if  the  hat  was  on  Simon  Sam's  head  when  the 
shot  was  fired,  as  I  presume  it  was,  your  brother 
would,  in  my  opinion,  have  done  the  world  a  service 
by  shooting  a  little  lower  down !  " 

If  Mr.  Simon  Sam  noted  the  purport  of  this  rather 
pointed  remark,  at  least  he  kept  his  opinion  on  the 
subject  to  himself.  His  was  such  an  abject,  servile 
nature  that  nothing  could  offend  him ;  so  he  merely 
pulled  himself  together,  and  reaching  for  the  hat, 
said :  — 

"Gentlemen,  I  shall  preserve  this  as  a  memento 
of  one  of  the  narrow  escapes  of  my  life.  Now,  if  you 
have  no  further  use  for  my  services,  I  will  recover 
my  gun,  which  fell  from  yonder  mango  tree,  and 
depart  to  my  humble  home  as  soon  as  I  can  find  my 


172  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

burro,  which  was  tethered  in  the  mesquites  over 
yonder  hill." 

"  I  have  no  objection,"  said  Arthur,  "to  your  seek 
ing  your  humble  home,  provided  you  will  stay  in  it 
when  you  get  there ;  but  when  a  man  has  a  home,  as 
you  say  you  have,  why  should  he  perch  himself  up  in 
mango  trees  by  a  roadside  to  overhear  the  conversa 
tion  of  unwary  travellers  ?  No,  sir,  before  you  go 
you  must  first  give  us  an  explanation  of  several  things 
which  seem  to  us  very  mysterious." 

"And  before  you  go,"  added  the  poet,  "I  shall 
exact  some  guarantee  that  you  will  not  persecute  me 
any  more,  Simon  Sam,  otherwise  known  as  Colonel 
Pombioso  Fuliginoso,  attached  to  the  secret  service 
of  his  Excellency,  the  President." 

"Oho,  so  that  is  his  name  and  title,  is  it?  Hear 
ing  this  reminds  me  of  what  I  was  told  in  the  capi 
tal,  namely,  that  the  President  had  ordered  you  to 
call  out  a  detail  and  have  yourself  shot,  the  morn 
ing  after  the  arrival  of  the  American  war  vessel.  Is 
that  true  ? " 

It  was  Arthur  who  asked  this  rather  personal  ques 
tion,  and  as  Mr.  Sam  saw  there  was  no  avoiding  it  he 
answered  without  hesitation. 

"It  is  true,  sefior,  and  but  for  his  Excellency's 
clemency  I  should  now  be  no  more.  But  he  spared 
my  life,  as  you  see,  and  here  I  am." 

"  Yes,  I  see ;  but  on  what  condition  did  he  spare 
your  life  ? " 


The  Man  in  a  Mango  Tree.  173 

"I  —  he  —  that  is  —  oh,  senor,  there  was  no  con 
dition.  I  swear  there  was  not  any.  See,  I  go  down 
on  my  knees  to  you.  There  was  no  condition." 

"Humph.  A  likely  story,  that.  His  Excellency 
is  not  given  to  granting  such  a  favor  without  a  cer 
tain  other  favor  in  return.  Speak,  now,  and  tell  me 
all,  or  I  will  put  a  bullet  through  you." 

"  Then  -      But  you  will  kill  me  if  I  tell  you." 

"  No,  if  you  tell  the  truth  I  will  spare  you." 

"  And  let  me  go  free,  without  any  further  molesta 
tion  ? " 

"  Yes,  on  my  word ;  but  provided  you  also  seek  to 
do  us  no  further  harm." 

"  Then  I  will  tell  you,  and  this  is  the  truth.  Hear 
me,  all  saints.  Lelee  spared  my  life  on  the  sole  con 
dition  that  I  would  prevent  you  and  your  brother 
from  ever  returning  alive  from  this  journey." 

"  So  ?  That  is  what  I  suspected.  But  how  did  he 
know  we  were  to  come  this  way?  We  had  taken 
passage  for  New  York.  Did  he  not  know  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  knew ;  but  Lelee  is  old  and  cunning. 
He  has  the  cunning  of  the  evil  one  himself.  He  said 
you  might  continue  on  to  New  York,  and  then  again 
you  might  get  off  the  steamer  at  either  Puerto  Plata 
or  Cristi,  so  he  sent  a  man  on  board  ship  to  watch 
you,  and  commanded  me  to  strike  across  country  and 
lie  in  wait  for  you  on  this  road,  peradventure  you 
might  come  this  way." 

"  That  was  an  admirable  plan,  but  as  you  see  it  has 


174  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

miscarried.  Now,  tell  me,  have  you  any  accom 
plices  ? " 

"  Not  one.  I  came  here  alone.  And  nobody  else 
but  Lelee  knows  of  my  mission.  Nobody  but  you 
and  your  friends  with  us  here." 

"  That  is  all.  You  may  go,  so  far  as  I  am  con 
cerned.  But  if  I  find  that  you  have  played  me  false 
or  if  you  should  betray  our  presence  here  to  Lelee, 
your  life  will  be  the  forfeit.  I  will  find  you  and 
shoot  you,  wherever  you  may  be  in  hiding." 

"  I  hear,  and  you  may  do  so  if  you  find  I  have 
proved  false.  But  I  dare  not  live  here  any  longer. 
I  shall  go  over  into  Haiti." 


XIX. 
A  Dominican  Country  Home. 

"A  |  ^VHAT  is  the  road,  Simon  Sam, — the  road  to 
A  Haiti,  —  and  the  sooner  you  travel  that  way 
the  better  for  all  of  us.  Go  now,  catch  your  burro, 
mount  and  be  off."  Thus  spake  the  poet  to  his 
erstwhile  neighbor  and  enemy,  after  the  conversa 
tion  had  ended  between  him  and  Arthur  Strong. 
"  I  have  a  grudge  of  my  own  to  satisfy ;  but  if  you 
keep  your  word  to  the  young  American  and  if  he 
can  pardon  you,  —  why,  so  can  I.  He  shall  not  be 
more  magnanimous  than  I  can  be.  But  go ! " 

"  I  go,  Alessandro  Alix ;  but  as  I  shall  never  see 
my  family  again  I  want  you  to  take  them  word  of  me. 
Tell  my  wife  that  she  will  not  see  me  ever  again  in 
Santo  Domingo,  for  I  shall  not  cross  the  line  after  I 
have  gone  over  the  boundary." 

"  Yes,  I  will  do  so  gladly,  Simon  Sam  ;  but  I  only 
wish  it  were  true  that  you  meant  what  you  say,  and 
I  am  not  by  any  means  certain  that  you  will  cross 
the  boundary.  Bad  pennies  have  a  way  of  turning 
up  when  least  desired  or  expected.  However,  vaya 
con  DioSy  —  go  and  may  God  be  with  you,  —  provided 
you  are  bent  on  reform." 


176  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

The  little  party  watched  the  man  out  of  sight, 
as  he  shuffled  down  the  road  and  climbed  the  hill 
beyond  which,  as  he  claimed,  his  donkey  was  tethered. 
Not  until  they  had  seen  him  return  over  the  highway 
leading  to  Cristi  and  Haiti,  however,  did  they  feel 
assured  that  he  would  take  his  departure. 

"  Now,  my  boys,"  said  the  poet,  (<  we  have  wasted 
a  good  deal  of  time  on  that  worthless  specimen  of  a 
Dominican,  and  as  the  afternoon  is  well  advanced, 
suppose  we  saddle  up  and  meander  on  our  journey. 
I  take  it  you  are  bound  for  the  Cibao  region,  or  per 
haps  for  Santiago,  and  as  I  have  a  little  rancho  near 
the  suburbs  of  the  city,  I  herewith  extend  to  you  a 
most  cordial  invitation  to  make  my  house  your  home 
for  as  long  a  time  as  you  can  stay.  Nay,  do  not 
refuse  us  this  favor,  for  have  you  not  put  both  my 
daughter  and  myself  under  great  obligations  to  you  ? 
We  are  poor — that  is,  in  this  world's  goods  —  but 
we  are  a  happy  family,  aren't  we,  Rita,  my  love  ? " 

"  Yes,  papa  ;  why  should  we  not  be  ?  And  I  hope 
the  senores  will  go  with  us  and  let  me  do  some 
thing  to  show  how  grateful  I  am  for  their  kindness. 
Mamma  and  my  sisters  also  will  wish  to  see  those 
who  have  been  our  friends  on  the  road ;  for  a  favor 
received  by  one  of  our  family  is  held  as  a  favor  to 
all." 

"No,  no,  sefiorita,"  exclaimed  Hartley,  "we  have 
done  nothing  at  all  to  require  any  recompense  what 
ever.  But  as  to  going  with  you,  if  my  brother  is 


A  Dominican  Country  Home.          177 

agreed,  I  think  it  would  be  the  jolliest  thing  that  we 
could  do.  What  do  you  say,  Arthur  ?  " 

"Say?  Why,  go;  by  all  means.  We  shall  not 
often  get  an  invitation  to  join  such  a  charming  com 
pany,  I'm  sure.  Senorita  and  senor,  we  accept  with 
pleasure.  Now  that  our  steeds  are  saddled  and  you 
are  ready  to  mount,  we  shall  proceed,  provided  Miss 
Rita  does  not  object  to  travelling  in  company  with 
these  bullocks." 

"Of  course  not,"  laughed  the  girl.  "Why,  at  the 
rancho  I  ride  nothing  else,  and  barebacked,  too. 
Poor  papa  has  had  a  small  herd  of  bullocks  broken 
in  for  us  all  to  ride,  as  there  are  nearly  half  a  dozen 
of  us  girls,  besides  himself  and  mamma." 

"  Half  a  dozen  ? "  asked  Arthur.  "  And  have  you 
no  brothers,  then  ? " 

"  No,  not  a  boy  amongst  us ;  and  it  is  true  that  we 
are  nearly  half  a  dozen,  for  we  are  five  in  all,  and  I 
am  the  youngest." 

"Don't  you  pity  me,  seftores?"  asked  the  poet, 
pulling  a  long  face  and  trying  to  look  miserable. 
"  Five  daughters,  and  not  one  of  them  married,  or 
ever  likely  to  be,  I'm  afraid." 

"Why,  Papa  Alix,  you  naughty  man.  Aren't  you 
ashamed  to  talk  that  way !  You  know  I  am  not  old 
enough,  and  as  for  sisters,  I'm  sure  they  are  too 
good  for  any  men  of  our  acquaintance ;  and  besides, 
you  have  always  been  so  good  to  us  that  we  couldn't 
leave  you  if  we  wanted  to."  The  pretty  sefiorita 


iy8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

pouted,  and  then  she  blushed  shyly,  wondering  in 
her  innocent  little  heart  if  she  had  said  anything 
wrong. 

"Tut,  tut,  my  child.  Don't  get  in  a  pet.  I 
wouldn't  have  any  of  you  marry  for  the  world  —  not 
while  I  am  alive.  What  would  the  old  rancho  be 
without  its  sunshine  ?  Yes,  senores,  there  are  five ; 
and  their  names  are :  Tomasina,  Rosalina,  Olivia, 
Carmen,  and  last  but  not  by  any  means  least,  my 
Rita,  whom  alone,  of  them  all,  you  know." 

"And  you  know  only  the  worst  of  the  five," 
added  Rita,  with  a  mischievous  gleam  in  her  spar 
kling  brown  eyes.  "  I'm  the  tomboy,  and  being  the 
youngest  have  been  completely  spoiled.  Have  I 
not,  papa?" 

She  looked  demurely  at  her  father,  who  gravely 
nodded  assent,  without  seeming  to  understand  what 
she  had  said.  He  was  wrapped  in  his  thoughts, 
apparently,  and  oblivious  to  his  surroundings.  Rita 
placed  a  finger  at  her  lips  and  nodded  significantly 
to  the  boys,  who  were  riding  one  on  each  side  her 
horse. 

"  See  that,  now !  Isn't  it  awfully  provoking  to 
have  such  a  parent  as  that  ?  Why,  sometimes  I  am 
so  exasperated  I  would  just  like  to  shake  him.  But, 
of  course,  I  wouldn't.  Do  you  know  what  he  is 
doing  now  ?  Why,  he  is  composing  poetry.  Think 
of  a  man  of  his  age  writing  verses  about  moonlight 
and  lovers,  and  all  such  like  silly  things !  He  should 


A  Dominican  Country   Home.          179 

know  better,  don't  you  think  so  ?  Oh,  you  may 
speak  out;  he  won't  hear  you." 

"  Well,  now,"  began  Arthur,  "  it  must  be  a  great 
thing  to  have  a  poet  in  the  family,  especially  a  great 
poet." 

"Yes ;  but  I'm  afraid  papa  is  not  a  great  poet.  I 
should  like  to  think  so,  of  course ;  but  when  I  com 
pare  his  poetry  with  what  the  really  great  ones  have 
written,  it  seems  very  poor  sort  of  stuff.  And  then, 
again,  he  doesn't  get  anything  for  it,  unless  it  is 
from  some  tradesman  or  planter  who  wants  his  wares 
or  his  products  puffed  up.  Still,  it  pleases  him,  and 
that  is  something." 

"You  are  quite  a  philosopher,"  said  Hartley,  laugh 
ing.  "  I  wish  I  could  look  at  things  as  contentedly 
as  you  do.  Don't  you  let  anything  worry  you  at  all  ? " 

"Dear  me,  yes,"  said  the  little  lady,  quaintly. 
"  Ever  so  many  things  trouble  me.  But  it's  no  use 
telling  you  about  them ;  you're  only  a  boy  and 
wouldn't  understand,  and  if  you  did  it  would  be  no 
use." 

In  this  manner  they  chatted  as  they  rode  along, 
whiling  away  the  time  so  pleasantly  that  it  was  near 
night  before  they  became  aware  the  sun  was  getting 
toward  the  western  horizon.  Then  the  poet  awoke 
from  his  revery  and,  looking  about,  said  :  "  Off  here 
somewhere  there  lives  a  friend  of  mine,  with  whom 
we  can  pass  the  night.  Ah,  there  is  his  rancho,  off 
there  at  the  base  of  that  hill." 


180  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Leaping  their  steeds  over  the  low  hedge  of  pita 
plants  that  lined  the  highway,  the  quartette  galloped 
up  to  the  door  of  a  lowly  hut  of  three  or  four  rooms 
and  dismounted.  A  pleasant-looking  colored  man 
came  to  the  door  as  they  did  so,  and  welcomed  them 
to  the  house. 

"  It  is  yours,"  he  said  with  a  great  air  of  hospitality, 
"the  house,  its  owner,  and  all  you  see  around  you. 
And  especially  are  you  welcome,  Don  Alessandro,  and 
your  charming  daughter." 

The  two  men  embraced,  Spanish  fashion,  poking 
their  heads  over  each  other's  shoulders  and  patting 
each  other  on  the  back,  and  after  this  performance 
was  over  the  young  men  were  introduced.  A  small 
troop  of  boys  came  from  the  stable  yard  and  led 
away  the  beasts,  and  in  a  short  time  a  steaming 
supper  was  spread  on  a  big  bench  under  a  tamarind 
tree  and  the  weary  travellers  invited  to  partake. 
After  the  supper  was  over  the  ranchero's  wife  took 
Rita  away  to  her  room,  and  the  men  chatted  together 
over  their  cigarettes.  At  least,  they  all  mingled  in 
the  conversation,  though  the  boys  did  not  smoke. 

The  host's  plantation  was  in  a  bend  of  the  Yaqui, 
which  he  told  his  stranger  guests  was  there  called 
the  River  of  Reeds,  because  of  the  beds  of  tula 
which  bordered  its  lower  banks.  He  was  not  inquisi 
tive  about  them,  so  they  had  to  answer  no  awkward 
questions,  and  after  he  and  Don  Alessandro  had  fin 
ished  their  smokes  and  talks,  he  led  the  way  to  their 


A  Dominican  Country  Home.          181 

quarters  for  the  night.  A  hammock  for  each,  slung 
from  rafters  blackened  by  the  smoke  of  fires  for 
many  years,  comprised  their  beds,  and  in  these 
elastic  aboriginal  couches  they  slept  soundly  till 
morning. 

Awakened  at  daylight  by  the  vociferous  crowing 
of  cocks  and  cackle  of  guinea  fowl,  they  tumbled  out 
and  went  down  to  the  river  for  a  bath,  finding  coffee 
awaiting  them  on  their  return,  and  by  the  time  that 
was  disposed  of  their  horses  and  bullocks  were  stand 
ing  saddled  beneath  the  trees  ready  for  departure. 
The  generous  host  would  take  nothing  for  their 
entertainment,  and  seemed  inclined  to  be  offended 
at  the  payment  proffered  by  Arthur,  who  was  pay 
master  of  the  expedition  and  kept  strict  account  of 
expenses. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said  with  seeming  disgust,  "  I  have 
not  sunk  so  low  as  to  take  pay  for  hospitality.  I  am 
only  a  poor  ranchero,  to  be  sure ;  but  the  good  God 
has  given  me  all  I  need  and  something  more  for  the 
entertainment  of  my  friends.  Vaya  con  Dios  senorita 
and  caballeros.  Come  see  me  soon  again,  for  it  is 
lonesome  here." 

"  If  we  travel  hard  all  day,  at  night  we  shall  reach 
my  own  rancho,  senores,  and  then  we  will  rest  after 
our  arduous  labors,"  said  Don  Alessandro. 

And  indeed  it  was  a  hard  day's  journey,  the  road 
being  nearly  all  the  way  up  hill,  before  they  saw  the 
towers  of  Santiago's  cathedral  looming  in  the  dis- 


1 82  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

tance,  and  knew  that  the  end  of  their  jaunt  was  near. 
They  had  lunched  that  noon  by  the  side  of  a  crystal 
rivulet  and  had  a  merry  picnic  there;  but  on  the 
whole,  all  were  rather  subdued,  on  account  of  fatigue 
from  continued  travel.  So  they  welcomed  with  joy 
the  prospect  of  a  rest,  and  when  Rita  turned  to  the 
boys  and  told  them  that  in  another  half-hour  they 
would  be  at  the  rancho,  they  could  not  conceal  their 
satisfaction. 

"We  turn  off  here,"  said  Don  Alessandro,  as  they 
reached  a  hill  from  which  the  town  of  Santiago  was 
fully  visible.  "There  before  you  is  my  native  place, 
Santiago  de  los  Caballeros,  —  the  City  of  the  Gentle 
men,  —  so  called  by  the  first  Spaniards  who  settled 
here,  because  it  was  founded  by  the  choicest  soldiers 
of  the  Spanish  army,  many  of  them  hidalgos  and  all 
of  them  men  of  substance.  It  is  an  old  city,  but  not 
so  old  as  our  capital,  having  been  founded  about 
1504,  though  its  site  was  known  years  before." 

They  cantered  through  a  shady  lane  lined  with 
frangipanni,  century  plants,  and  pita,  and  finally 
drew  rein  at  a  tumble-down  gate  beneath  an  im 
mense  silk-cotton  tree.  Inside  the  gate  was  a  long, 
low,  one-storied  structure  made  of  palm  logs  and 
roofed  with  tiles.  It  was  a  rambling,  loose-jointed 
dwelling,  evidently  with  many  rooms,  for  there  were 
many  doors  and  windows  opening  out  upon  its  broad 
and  all-enclosing  verandas. 

The  sun  had  set  by  this  time,  and  the  dusk  was 


A  Dominican  Country  Home.          183 

gathering;  but  the  dwellers  within  the  house  had 
heard  a  commotion  outside  and  came  to  reconnoitre. 
Then  there  were  screams  of  joy  and  welcome,  as 
Don  Alessandro  and  Rita  were  clasped  in  half  a 
dozen  arms  or  more,  and  nearly  smothered  with 
kisses.  The  gate  was  opened,  and  in  went  all,  —  sev 
eral  servants,  who  had  by  this  time  been  aroused, 
leading  the  way. 

When  the  members  of  Don  Alessandro's  household 
discovered  —  after  the  ardor  of  their  embracings  was 
over  —  that  there  were  two  strangers  with  their 
father  and  sister,  they  were  somewhat  abashed, 
especially  as  Don  Alessandro  loudly  proclaimed  that 
these  two  young  gentlemen  had  come  on  purpose  to 
visit  them,  having  heard  the  fame  of  his  daughters' 
beauty  in  America.  They  were  knights  errant,  he 
said,  in  quest  of  adventure,  and  the  first  thing  they 
had  done  was  to  rescue  Rita  from  a  runaway,  and 
the  next  to  shoot  a  hat  from  Simon  Sam's  head,  a  la 
William  Tell. 

It  was  then  the  young  men's  turn  to  feel  shy,  and 
it  is  feared  that  at  first  they  did  not  enjoy  the  situa 
tion  so  very  much.  They  had  to  admit  that  they 
had  not  seen  so  fine  a  bevy  of  girls  in  all  the  island, 
and  when  nearly  a  dozen  dark  eyes  were  turned  on 
them  as  they  were  introduced,  they  felt  they  would 
much  rather  meet  an  armed  body  of  men,  than 
endure  such  a  battery  of  glances.  However,  the 
ordeal  was  soon  over.  Senora  Alix  was  such  a 


184  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

motherly,  sweet-faced  lady,  and  her  daughters  five  so 
amiable  and  charming,  that  the  boys  were  soon  at 
their  ease  again.  And  when,  an  hour  later,  they  all 
sat  down  to  a  bountiful  meal  on  the  west  veranda, 
there  wasn't  a  jollier  company  anywhere  in  the 
island. 


XX. 

Pledged  to  kill  the  Tyrant. 

""\7"OU  are  tired,  of  course,"  said  Sefiora  Alix, 
X  after  dinner  was  over  and  the  girls  had 
retired  to  their  rooms  to  exchange  news  of  what  had 
happened  since  Rita's  departure.  Each  of  them 
made  a  cute  little  courtesy  as  she  was  about  to  dis 
appear,  murmured  a  "  buena  noche,  senores,  —  good 
night,  sirs  "  —  then  vanished  from  sight. 

But  though  lost  to  sight  they  were  not  by  any 
means  beyond  ear-shot,  for  the  poet's  house,  big  as  it 
was,  had  no  rooms  with  dividing  walls,  and  the  parti 
tions  that  separated  them  were  only  about  ten  feet 
high.  So  the  chatter  of  the  seftoritas  was  audible 
long  after  all  the  others  had  retired. 

Acting  upon  the  suggestion  of  his  wife,  Don  Ales- 
sandro  piloted  the  boys  to  their  room,  which  like  the 
rest  was  only  a  square,  box-like  apartment  with  par 
tition  half-roof  high,  a  mud  floor  and  palm-thatched 
rafters  overhead.  Yes,  the  floor  was  of  the  natural 
earth,  or  rather  of  clay  beaten  down  hard  by  long 
usage,  and  during  the  daytime  the  pigs  and  chickens, 
turkeys  and  guinea  fowls,  marched  over  it  at  their 
own  sweet  will.  But  thrown  over  the  loose  sack  of 

185 


1 86  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

straw  that  served  as  a  bed,  was  a  sheet  of  fine  linen 
with  beautiful  Spanish  drawn-work  a  foot  deep  along 
its  edges,  and  the  pillow-cases  were  also  exquisitely 
embroidered  in  the  style  of  the  country. 

This  work,  of  course,  had  been  done  by  the  young 
ladies  ;  but,  truth  to  tell,  they  had  few  other  accom 
plishments,  and  like  their  Spanish-American  sisters 
in  Cuba,  Puerto  Rico,  Mexico,  and  all  Central  and 
South  America,  they  paid  less  attention  to  the  culti 
vation  of  their  minds  than  the  representatives  of 
their  sex  in  more  northern  lands. 

But  this  is  neither  here  nor  there.  The  boys  may 
not  have  approved  altogether  of  the  young  ladies  and 
their  bringing  up,  but  they  recognized  the  fact  that 
they  were  in  a  sense  their  guests,  and  that  criticism 
would  come  with  bad  grace  from  them.  And  again, 
the  girls  were  very  charming,  and  had  natural  grace 
and  lovable  dispositions  which  made  them  seem  quite 
fascinating.  They  were,  in  short,  warm-hearted, 
good-natured,  but  thoughtless  young  ladies,  never 
having  had  a  real  care  in  their  lives,  and  at  the  same 
time  never  having  been  spoiled  by  an  excess  of  riches. 
The  constant  battle  with  poverty,  however,  had  not 
soured  their  natures,  and  this  ought  to  be  said  to 
their  credit. 

Arthur  and  Hartley  tiptoed  about  on  the  mud  floor 
quite  gingerly,  after  their  shoes  and  stockings  were 
off,  looking  for  a  hook  or  a  nail  on  which  to  hang 
their  clothes.  But  such  an  object  was  nowhere  visi- 


Pledged  to  kill  the  Tyrant.  187 

ble,  and  finally,  with  a  laugh,  they  threw  their  "  togs  " 
over  a  hammock  swung  from  the  rafters,  said  their 
prayers,  and  went  off  to  sleep,  with  a  sense  of  great 
thankfulness  for  the  shelter  provided  them  by  Don 
Alessandro. 

In  the  morning  they  were  awakened  by  a  great 
commotion  in  their  room,  and  opening  their  eyes,  saw 
a  queer  procession  filing  through  the  open  doorway. 
It  was  headed  by  a  gigantic  and  consequential  turkey 
gobbler,  after  whom  waddled  a  big  Muscovy  duck, 
followed  by  a  dozen  or  more  hens  and  roosters,  all 
evidently  unfavorably  impressed  with  the  new  arri 
vals,  for  they  gave  vent  to  their  disapproval  in  a 
perfect  babel  of  sounds.  They  marched  around  the 
room  subjecting  everything  in  it,  particularly  the 
boys'  belongings,  to  a  searching  examination,  and 
then  filed  out  again,  probably  to  report  what  they 
had  discovered  to  the  rest  of  the  farmyard  throng. 

"  Was  that  a  dream,  Hart,"  asked  Arthur,  rubbing 
his  eyes,  "  or  was  it  a  real  procession  ? " 

"  You  would  think  it  rather  real,  I  guess,"  laughed 
Hartley,  looking  over  the  side  of  the  bed,  "if  you 
could  see  the  muddy  tracks  they  have  left.  But  I 
wouldn't  mind  it  if  they  had  only  cleaned  out  some 
of  the  cockroaches.  Look  at  that  old  beggar  over 
in  the  corner.  Wait  a  moment  till  I  shy  a  boot  at 
him.  Why,  he's  almost  as  big  as  a  sparrow.  And 
there's  another.  Oh,  what  was  that? " 

Hartley  had  reached  out  and  taken  up  one  of  his 


1 88  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

boots  from  the  floor,  intending  to  throw  it  at  the 
cockroach,  as  already  mentioned,  when  something 
black  and  shiny,  with  a  multitude  of  wriggling  legs, 
slipped  between  his  ringers. 

"  A  centipede,  Art!  Sure  as  I'm  a  sinner.  He 
flashed  between  my  fingers  like  a  streak  of  lightning. 
I  declare,  I'm  afraid  to  get  out  and  dress." 

"  Oh,  pooh,  a  centipede's  sting  isn't  necessarily 
fatal,"  replied  Arthur,  sitting  up  in  bed  and  looking 
about  him.  "  It  might  give  you  a  little  fever,  or 
something  of  that  sort;  but  that's  about  all." 

"  All  ?  Well,  that's  enough.  But  look.  There's 
another,  running  over  your  pillow.  Kill  him,  Art, 
before  he  gets  away !  " 

"  Where  ?  Where  is  he  ?  Ouch  !  Oh,  there  he 
is,  making  straight  for  me." 

Arthur  didn't  wait  for  him  to  reach  his  evident 
destination,  but  sprang  out  of  bed  and  seized  one  of 
his  boots,  gazing  wildly  about  him.  Hartley  fol 
lowed  in  short  order,  and  for  a  moment  both  were 
panic-stricken.  But  the  younger  boy  was  the  first 
to  recover,  and  securing  a  seat  in  the  hammock,  he 
rallied  his  brother  with  his  own  words  :  — 

"  Pooh,  Art,  centipedes  aren't  necessarily  fatal, 
you  know  !  Let  that  one  sting  you  if  he  wants  to. 
It's  the  nature  of  the  beast,  and  I  don't  suppose  he 
will  be  happy  unless  he  does  something  of  the  sort. 
I  wouldn't  be  afraid  of  a  little  thing  like  that,  seems 
to  me." 


Pledged  to  kill  the  Tyrant.  189 

"  Oh,  you  wouldn't,  eh  ?  Well,  there's  another 
running  along  the  upper  edge  of  the  hammock,  and 
in  about  half  a  minute  he  will  be  near  enough  for 
you  to  make  his  acquaintance,  if  you  don't  get  up. 
Ha,  ha,  I  thought  you  wouldn't  sit  there  long,"  as 
Hartley  rolled  from  the  hammock  to  the  floor  with  a 
wild  whoop  of  dismay. 

All  this  commotion  brought  Don  Alessandro  to  the 
doorway,  and  thrusting  his  head  in,  he  wanted  to 
know  what  the  matter  was. 

"  Centipedes,"  said  Arthur.  "  Hundreds  of  them," 
added  Hartley.  "  Look  !  " 

"  Oh,  is  that  all  ?  I  thought  there  was  really  some 
thing  the  matter,"  said  the  poet.  "  Why,  I've  lived 
here  all  my  life  and  was  never  stung  by  them  more 
than  forty  times.  We  can't  get  rid  of  them,  as  they 
live  in  the  thatch  and  rotten  wood  of  the  rafters,  like 
the  scorpions,  which  are  almost  as  numerous  as  the 
centipedes.  But  wait,  I'll  get  you  a  piece  of  canvas 
to  stand  on  while  you  dress." 

He  went  away,  and  soon  came  back  with  a  square 
of  canvas  which  he  spread  on  the  floor,  and  upon 
which  the  boys  stood  while  they  put  on  their  clothes ; 
first,  however,  shaking  every  article  and  examining 
it  carefully  before  getting  into  it.  They  saw  but  one 
more,  which  ran  out  of  Arthur's  other  boot,  and  this 
one  he  "  squashed  "  before  it  got  away.  It  was  a 
horrid-looking  creature,  fully  four  inches  long  and 
with  venom  enough  in  it,  doubtless,  to  throw  either 


190  The  Last  of  the  Aravvaks. 

of  them  into  high  fever  if  it  could  have  used  its 
poison  ducts. 

Don  Alessandro  showed  them  how  the  mischief 
was  done.  He  said  he  had  seen  one  once  running 
across  the  bare  arm  of  a  companion,  and  had  struck 
at  it  with  a  stick  he  had  in  his  hand.  He  hit  the  cen 
tipede  and  knocked  it  to  the  floor,  but  not  before  it 
had  sunk  its  claws  into  the  man's  flesh  and  injected 
poison  enough  nearly  to  cause  his  death. 

"  They  can  move  like  lightning,"  said  Don  Ales 
sandro,  "  and  as  they  seem  to  know  the  very  second 
you  intend  to  strike  at  them  they  sometimes  forestall 
the  act,  as  did  the  one  which  stung  my  friend.  But 
now  you  are  dressed,  come  out  into  the  open  air  and 
try  to  forget  this  disagreeable  experience.  I  will  have 
the  room  thoroughly  searched  this  morning  and  make 
it  more  presentable  for  my  guests." 

The  morning  was  so  glorious,  with  bright  beams 
glancing  across  the  palms,  birds  singing  in  the  trees 
and  thickets,  and  the  fragrance  of  flowers  filling  the 
air,  that  the  boys  soon  forgot  the  bad  quarter  of  an 
hour  they  had  passed  and  thought  only  of  the 
beauties  of  nature.  They  sipped  their  coffee  together 
on  the  back  veranda,  and  when  they  had  finished, 
the  poet  sent  for  horses,  saying  that  he  wished  to 
take  them  for  a  ride. 

As  they  cantered  along  between  half-wild  hedges 
of  pita  plant,  Don  Alessandro  told  them  something 
of  the  history  of  the  country.  The  city  of  Santiago, 


Pledged  to  kill  the  Tyrant.  191 

he  said,  which  was  visible  only  a  few  miles  away, 
was  the  centre  of  a  region  containing  about  forty 
thousand  inhabitants,  mostly  agriculturists,  and  was 
once  a  very  important  place.  At  present  it  is  lan 
guishing  from  lack  of  enterprise  and  the  stagnation 
of  business  caused  by  the  President's  opposition  to 
progress. 

"  We  will  come  around  back  that  way,"  said  Don 
Alessandro,  "  and  I  will  show  you  some  of  the  sights. 
Meanwhile,  I  am  now  taking  you  to  see  the  ruins  of 
Jacagua,  the  first  settlement  on  this  island  after  the 
city  of  Isabella  was  founded.  It  was  once  quite  a 
town,  but  earthquakes  threw  down  its  walls,  and  the 
Spaniards  left  it  to  look  for  gold  in  the  hills,  so 
nothing  remains  to-day  but  a  heap  or  two  of  stones 
and  the  city  well." 

He  led  the  way  into  a  field  near  the  road  and 
pointed  out  several  heaps  of  stone  and  mortar,  over 
grown  with  wild  fig  trees  and  prickly  pears.  One 
shapeless  heap  represented  the  church,  another  the 
king's  storehouse,  and  still  another  the  city  hall,  and 
amongst  the  ruins  were  scattered  fragments  of  pottery 
and  tiles  that  had  once  covered  the  roofs  of  the 
buildings. 

After  inspecting  the  site  of  a  city  founded  by 
Columbus,  and  which  ought  to  be  interesting  to  all 
students  of  this  country's  history,  Don  Alessandro 
completed  the  trip  by  making  a  detour  to  Santiago 
de  los  Caballeros.  The  "  City  of  the  Gentlemen" 


192  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

has  sadly  deteriorated  since  early  Spanish  times,  and 
there  are  very  few  white  people  resident  there  at 
the  present  time;  but  traditions  still  remain  of  its 
ancient  glory.  Riding  through  a  paved  street  lined 
with  mean-looking  dwellings,  Don  Alessandro  finally 
stopped  in  front  of  a  house  that  at  one  time  had 
made  some  pretence  to  architectural  beauty.  It  was 
one-storied,  to  be  sure,  but  the  doorway  was  large 
and  the  walls  were  of  stone,  with  carved  cornices, 
and  a  balcony  jutting  out  from  a  dormer  window. 

A  gentleman  sat  within  the  doorway,  apparently 
very  old  and  very  feeble.  He  was  introduced  as 
Don  Pablo  Orerotundo,  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
original  conquistadores  who  had  come  over  directly 
after  the  West  Indies  were  discovered. 

At  the  request  of  their  guide  he  showed  the  boys 
an  ancient  parchment  bearing  testimony  to  the  proud 
lineage  of  his  ancestor,  which  he,  the  last  of  his  line, 
still  preserved  with  care.  A  flash  of  dignity  came 
into  the  old  man's  eyes  as  he  told  of  the  stock  from 
which  his  family  had  sprung,  but  it  instantly  died 
out  as  he  said :  — 

"  But  I  am  the  last,  senores.  I,  only,  remain,  and 
in  a  little  while  I  too  will  be  gone ;  and  of  what  use 
is  that  musty  parchment  or  this  suit  of  ancient  armor 
which  my  ancestor  once  wore  ? " 

He  pointed  to  a  suit  of  mail  that  hung  on  the  wall, 
above  which  was  a  pair  of  crossed  swords.  "  Do  you 
see  those  swords  ?"  he  asked.  "They  were  brought 


"ARTHUR'S  EYES  FLASHED  AS  THE  CLD  MAN  PASSED  ONE  OF  THE  SWORDS 

TO   HIM." 


Pledged  to  kill  the  Tyrant.  193 

here  by  the  conquistadores.  They  are  veritable 
'  Toledos,'  made  by  the  Moors  before  the  Spaniards 
reconquered  their  native  land,  perhaps  eight  hundred 
years  ago ;  maybe  nine,  for  I  have  forgotten  every 
thing  of  that  sort.  But  they  are  Toledos,  and  I  will 
ask  Don  Alessandro  to  take  them  down  and  show 
them  to  you." 

Having  done  as  requested,  Don  Alessandro  passed 
the  swords  to  their  owner,  who  took  them,  one  in 
each  hand,  and  bent  them  nearly  double  to  show 
their  strength  and  elasticity.  They  were  nearly  five 
feet  in  length,  each  one  with  a  cross  and  basket-hilt. 
Arthur's  eyes  flashed  as  the  old  man  passed  one  of 
the  swords  to  him,  for  he  loved  a  weapon  of  tried 
steel,  and  grasped  this  one  as  though  it  were  a  pearl 
of  great  price. 

The  old  man  noticed  that  and  said :  "  Ha,  so  you 
love  a  sword  ?  You  can  appreciate  this  weapon  with 
a  history  ?  Then,  senor,  I  shall  ask  you  to  accept  it 
from  me  as  a  gift.  Yes,  do  not  say  no,  for  there  is 
no  one  in  this  miserable  town  who  would  care  for  it. 
And  since  there  are  two  swords,  and  you  are  two 
brothers,  this  second  weapon  shall  belong  to  the 
younger  boy."  So  saying,  he  pressed  the  swords 
upon  them,  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  not  be 
refused. 


XXL 

Swords  of  the  Conquistadores. 

THE  boys  turned  to  Don  Alessandro  for  advice, 
and  he  told  them  to  have  no  hesitation  in 
accepting  the  swords  as  gifts.  "  It  is  true,  as  Don 
Pablo  says,  there  is  no  one  here  who  would  more 
highly  appreciate  them  than  yourselves.  But  I  think 
he  has,  in  return,  a  request  to  make  of  you,  if  I  mis 
take  not." 

"  Not  a  request,"  said  the  old  man,  in  a  loud,  clear 
voice,  "  but  a  command.  I  can  see  that  the  elder 
boy  is  an  accomplished  swordsman.  He  need  not 
make  a  pass  to  prove  that  to  me,  for  the  manner  of 
his  handling  the  weapon  shows  it.  And  it  is  upon 
him  I  would  lay  my  command,  which  is  this: 
Improve  the  first  opportunity  you  have  to  flesh  that 
sword  in  the  body  of  a  tyrant.  Who  ?  Oh,  there  is 
but  one  tyrant  in  Santo  Domingo.  You  know !  " 

"Yes,"  replied  Arthur,  steadily,  "I  know;  but  I 

cannot  accept  the  sword  with  this  condition.     I we 

-  have  suffered  at  his  hands ;  but  we  do  not  desire 
revenge.     You  must  take  it  back,  senor." 

"And  this,  also,"  joined  in  Hartley;  "  much  as  I 
194 


Swords  of  the  Conquistadores.          195 

should  value  the  sword  for  its  history  and  itself,  I 
cannot  retain  it,  though  greatly  obliged  to  you,  senor, 
for  your  courtesy." 

The  old  man  made  a  gesture  of  impatience.  "  No, 
no,  you  will  keep  the  swords ;  and  what  is  more,  one 
of  you  shall  stain  one  of  them  with  the  blood  of  the 
tyrant  or  his  emissary.  You  cannot  evade  your  des 
tiny.  It  is  written  on  the  scroll.  I  have  been  wait 
ing  for  you  to  come  for  many  years,  for  the  man  to 
avenge  our  slaughtered  islanders.  I  cannot  read 
all  this  on  the  scroll.  But  that  you  will  fight  him, 
hand  to  hand  and  foot  to  foot  —  that  is  written. 
And  you  will  prevail.  Now  I  am  content,  Alessan- 
dro.  The  sword  of  the  conquistador  has  come  into 
the  hands  of  its  master  —  this  young  man." 

As  Don  Pablo  spoke  he  had  the  air  of  one  peering 
into  futurity,  the  rapt  gaze  of  the  seer.  He  stood 
erect,  and  the  years  seemed  to  roll  away  from  him, 
leaving  him  almost  young  in  appearance. 

"Take  the  swords,"  said  Don  Alessandro,  "if  only 
to  gratify  his  whim.  He  is  a  monomaniac  on  the 
subject  of  Lelee,  for  he  killed  his  son,  and  ever  since 
that  event,  Don  Pablo  has  had  no  rest." 

"  Yes,  he  killed  my  son,"  said  Don  Pablo,  catching 
at  a  portion  of  Don  Alessandro's  speech.  "Lelee 
killed  my  only  son,  my  heart's  treasure,  the  solace 
of  my  old  age.  Oh,  what  would  I  not  give  to  bring 
him  to  the  grave  !  But  there  are  no  men  left  in  this 
island  now.  Lelee  has  killed  them  all,  —  Qlse  some. 


196  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

one  would  hunt  him  down  and  slay  him  like  the 
beast  he  is.  But  you  will?"  turning  to  Arthur. 
"  You  will  rid  the  world  of  this  carrion  ?  Say  you 
will." 

"  I  cannot  promise,"  replied  Arthur,  gently.  "  But 
I  feel  for  you,  I  do,  indeed.  And  if  Lelee  compels 
me,  as  you  say  he  will,  I  will  fight  him  to  the  death. 
But  only  in  self-defence ;  not  otherwise." 

"Very  well.  But  if  you  had  seen  what  I  have 
seen,  you  would  not  think  it  a  crime  to  kill  Lelee.  I 
have  seen  a  whole  regiment  shot  down  by  his  orders. 
He  had  suspected  it  of  being  disloyal  to  him,  and 
with  the  rest  of  his  army,  he  surrounded  it  while  out 
on  parade.  He  made  a  speech  to  the  soldiers,  say 
ing  that  all  the  officers  of  their  regiment  had  been 
found  disloyal,  and  accordingly  ordered  them  shot. 
This  was  done  by  the  soldiers,  who  were  then  told 
that  the  non-commissioned  officers  were  also  disloyal, 
and  that  they  must  shoot  them,  —  which  they  did. 
He  then  divided  the  regiment  up  into  squads  and 
had  one  squad  shoot  another,  until  the  entire  regi 
ment  was  destroyed !  That  was  Lelee,  the  man  who 
killed  my  son.  You  may  ask  why  I  do  not  seek  to 
kill  him  myself.  Because  I  cannot  get  at  him.  I 
am  too  well  known;  and,  besides,  I  am  too  old  to 
seek  him  out;  my  strength  is  not  sufficient." 

"Well,  Don  Pablo,"  said  Alessandro,  "we  must 
be  going,  for  the  good  wife  has  our  breakfast  await 
ing  by  this  time.  Thank  you  for  the  courtesy  to  my 


Swords  of  the  Conquistadores.          197 

guests.     Rest  assured,  they  shall  give  a  good  account 
of  the  Toledos." 

The  boys  added  their  thanks  to  their  host's,  mounted 
their  horses  and  rode  away.  Don  Pablo  stood  watch 
ing  them  until  they  had  turned  a  corner  of  the  street, 
then,  with  a  sad  shake  of  his  head,  sat  down  and 
buried  his  face  in  his  hands,  in  which  position  he 
remained  a  long,  long  while. 

"What  did  Don  Pablo  mean  by  the  *  scroll'?" 
asked  Hartley  of  the  poet,  as  they  rode  homeward. 

"Scroll?  Oh,  ah,  yes,"  replied  the  poet,  awaken 
ing  from  one  of  his  frequent  fits  of  abstraction. 
"  Why,  he  meant  a  scroll  of  life,  which  he  has  seen 
in  his  visions.  He  is  visionary,  as  of  course  you 
must  have  seen,  and  he  has  dwelt  so  long  on  the 
death  of  his  son,  and  planned  so  long  how  to  avenge 
it,  that  he  thinks  he  has  been  shown  the  right  way  to 
accomplish  his  purpose  in  the  end." 

"  But  how  came  he  to  fix  upon  me  as  the  medium 
of  his  vengeance  ? "  asked  Arthur. 

"  Quien  sabt?"  rejoined  the  poet,  shrugging  his 
shoulders.  "  Who  knows  ?  I  suppose,  though,  he 
had  seen  some  one  like  you  in  his  dreams,  and  when 
you  appeared  in  the  flesh  he  was  struck  by  the 
resemblance.  Still,  do  not  treat  the  matter  lightly, 
my  friend.  Remember  that  Don  Pablo,  from  long 
contemplation  of  things  spiritual  and  removed  from 
earth,  is  a  mystic,  and  that  more  importance  should 
attach  to  his  visions  than  to  ordinary  dreams.  For 


198  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

myself,  I  fully  believe  that  what  he  has  predicted  of 
you  will  come  to  pass." 

"What?  That  I  shall  fight  the  President  with 
this  sword  ?  That  is  impossible,  Don  Alessandro." 

"  No,  my  son,  not  impossible.  Improbable,  per 
haps,  but  still  within  the  realm  of  conjecture.  More 
things  that  seemed  less  likely  to  occur  have  come  to 
pass  in  my  own  experience." 

"  I  trust  this  will  not,"  answered  Arthur,  seri 
ously. 

"  It  must  not,  of  course,"  added  Hartley,  visibly 
affected  at  the  prospect,  though  so  remote,  of  his 
brother's  life  imperilled.  "Art,  dear,  I  shall  never 
leave  you.  If  he  fights  you  he  must  fight  me, 
too." 

Arthur  darted  a  grateful  glance  at  his  brother, 
and  then  laughed. 

"  Well,  Hart,  we  will  not  worry  over  a  thing  so 
remote.  I  don't  say  but  that  the  taking  off  of  Lelee 
would  be  a  good  thing  for  his  people;  but  I  don't 
want  to  be  the  cause  of  it,  I'm  sure." 

"  If  it  is  so  fated,  you  must,"  interposed  the  poet. 
"  But  don't  bother.  The  world  is  good,  and  God 
reigns.  Enjoy  what  is  at  hand.  Ha,  see,  there  are 
my  daughters  waiting  at  the  gate.  All  of  them,  too. 
I  wonder  what  mischief  is  in  the  air  now  ?  Some 
thing  important,  I  know  from  their  appearance. 
Well,  Tomasina,"  said  he,  addressing  the  eldest  of 
his  daughters,  a  young  miss  of  over  twenty,  with 


Swords  of  the  Conquistadores.  199 

laughing  black  eyes  and  sprightly  aspect,  "  what  is  it 
now  ?  " 

"What's  what,  papa  ?  "  asked  Tomasina,  demurely. 
"  How  do  you  know  anything  is  '  it.'  I've  a  good 
mind  not  to  speak  to  you  again  to-day." 

"  Oh,  come,  come,  don't  be  offended.  I  meant 
that  I  would  grant  any  reasonable  request,  —  that  is, 
any  that  doesn't  involve  spending  any  money,  you 
know.  Not  that  I  wouldn't  like  to,  but  I  haven't 
it  to  spend." 

"  No,  papa,"  said  Olivia,  the  second  daughter, 
coming  to  her  sister's  assistance,  "  it  isn't  that.  But 
we  have  been  planning  a  little  picnic  to  take  place 
to-morrow,  and  you  must  go  with  us." 

"Yes,"  continued  Rosalina,  the  next  in  age,  taking 
up  the  thread  of  the  story.  "  That  is  it,  a  picnic,  — 
to  come  off  at  Concepcion  de  la  Vega,  and  a  visit  to 
the  shrine  on  the  hill." 

"  Really,  papa,"  added  Carmencita,  the  young 
est  but  one,  "  you  ought  to  do  something  for  us,  it  is 
so  long  since  any  of  us  have  been  outside  the  rancho." 

"  And,"  finally  finished  Rita,  the  youngest  of  all, 
and  consequently  the  most  privileged,  —  that  is,  the 
most  spoiled  —  "  and  you  go  off  with  the  senores 
and  leave  us  all  moping  at  home.  Papa,  it  is  too 
bad,  really  it  is.  Consider,  Papa  Alix,  that  it  was  I 
who  discovered  the  senores,  and  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  me,  you  might  never  have  met  them." 

"  No,  you  might  never  have  met  them,"  said  all 


2OO  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  others  in  a  chorus,  "  and  yet  you  don't  give  us  a 
chance  to  speak  to  them." 

"Well,"  exclaimed  the  poor  poet,  after  this  com 
posite  tirade  had  ended,  "  did  you  ever  hear  anything 
like  that  before  ? "  He  turned  to  the  boys,  who  had 
fallen  a  little  behind  him  and  who  sat  on  their  horses 
enjoying  the  scene  most  hugely.  They  laughed,  but 
did  not  reply,  not  knowing  what  sort  of  an  answer  to 
make,  and  he  continued.  "  That  is  what  I  have  to 
endure  almost  every  day.  I,  the  most  indulgent  of 
fathers,  am  treated  like  a  common  enemy.  Why,  my 
darlings,"  turning  again  to  his  daughters,  "  you  had 
only  to  ask  of  me  what  you  wanted,  to  have  your 
request  granted  instantly." 

This  announcement  was  followed  by  a  shout  of 
derision  from  the  girls  behind  the  gate ;  but  they 
chattered  and  nodded  their  pretty  heads  to  each 
other  eagerly,  finally  saying :  "He  has  agreed  to  go, 
after  all.  Hurrah,  our  scheme  was  a  grand  suc 
cess  ! " 

Then  they  hastened  to  open  the  gate  and  let  the 
travellers  in,  their  eyes  gleaming  with  fun  and  run 
ning  over  with  merriment. 

"  Oh,  but  the  swords  !  "  exclaimed  Rosalina,  catch 
ing  sight  of  the  two  Toledos  in  the  young  men's 
hands. 

"  Don  Pablo's  swords,  too,"  said  Tomasina,  breath 
lessly.  "  Did  he  give  them  to  you  freely,  senores,  or — 
or  with  a  pledge  ? "  The  merriment  faded  out  of  her 


Swords  of  the  Conquistadores.  201 

face  and  the  chatter  was  instantly  hushed,  for  the 
girls  knew  well  for  what  purpose  Don  Pablo  had 
been  keeping  those  swords,  all  the  years  since  his 
son  was  killed. 

"  Don't  do  it,"  said  Rita,  addressing  Arthur.  "  Don't 
risk  your  life  in  an  encounter  with  that  base  man, 
senor." 

"  Pooh  !  "  said  Tomasina.  "  He  risks  nothing.  I 
only  wish  I  were  a  man !  I  would  seek  him  out  and 
compel  him  to  fight  me !  Think  you  not  that  God 
would  be  on  my  side  ?  Give  me  the  swords,  senores, 
and  I  will  polish  them  for  you.  They  shall  shine  so 
that  they  will  dazzle,  his  eyes,  and  the  only  spot  upon 
the  one  that  is  used  shall  be  made  by  his  foul  blood 
staining  it." 

She  reached  up  and  took  the  Toledos  from  the 
young  man,  and  bore  them  off  proudly  to  polish  them 
up  as  she  had  promised. 

"  Bravo,  Tomasina !  "  said  the  poet,  as  tears  leaped 
to  his  eyes.  "  What  would  I  not  give  if  you  were 
indeed  a  son,  instead  of  a  daughter." 

"  If  that  encounter  ever  does  come  off,"  said 
Arthur,  following  the  girl  with  admiring  eyes,  "  I 
would  ask  for  no  better  second  than  your  eldest 
daughter,  Senor  Alix." 

"  Faith,  she  is  gentle  enough,"  replied  the  poet. 
"  But,  indeed,  I  do  believe  she  would  dare  fight  Lelee 
single-handed.  But  dismount.  I  see  that  my  good 
senora  has  breakfast  awaiting  us,  as  I  said  to  Don 


2O2  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Pablo  she  would  have  when  we  arrived.  Turn  the 
horses  loose ;  they  will  find  their  fodder  and  some 
one  to  unsaddle  them.  Come  in."  By  the  time  all 
were  seated  around  the  breakfast  table,  they  had 
recovered  their  spirits,  and  not  a  word  was  said  that 
did  not  tend  to  obliterate  the  impression  which  the 
sight  of  the  Toledos  had  made  upon  their  minds. 

The  girls  were  overflowing  with  fun  again,  and 
narrated  with  great  glee  to  their  mother  how  they 
had  compelled  their  father  to  capitulate.  "  Oh,  it 
was  such  a  lark,"  declared  Rita.  "  We  charged  down 
upon  him  all  in  a  body,  and  fairly  took  his  breath 
away.  Didn't  we,  papa  ?  " 

"  Faith,  senores,"  said  the  poet,  appealing  to  the 
brothers,  "  would  it  not  be  likely  to  take  anybody's 
breath  away,  to  have  such  a  pack  of  tomboys  fall 
upon  him,  as  though  he  were  indeed  an  enemy, 
rather  than  the  kind  parent  I  am  known  to  be  ?  And 
such  a  spectacle,  too,  for  the  senores  to  witness." 

"  Oh,  they  enjoyed  it,  I'm  sure,"  rejoined  Rita, 
looking  across  the  table  to  the  silent  young  men. 
"  Of  course  we're  tomboys,  all  of  us.  What  else 
could  one  expect  of  girls  who  have  never  been  away 
from  such  a  forlorn  old  rancho  as  this  in  their  whole 
lives  ? " 


XXII. 

A  Picnic  on  the  Royal  Plain. 

>  do  not  sa    that»"  chided  the 


mother,  gently. 

"Well,  what  I  meant  was  to  stay  any  length  of 
time,  or  to  go  to  school." 

"  But  you  have  had  your  own  governesses,  dear, 
and  have  not  been  brought  up  entirely  in  ignorance, 
as  your  remarks  might  imply." 

"  Yes,  but  what  do  governesses  signify  ?  I  want 
to  see  the  world."  And  the  spoiled  child  pouted. 
Then  she  seemed  to  forget  her  grievance  all  at  once, 
and  turning  to  Arthur,  asked  him  why,  when  he  had 
the  whole  world  to  choose  from,  he  should  select 
their  poor  little  island  to  visit.  He  answered  by  say 
ing  that,  to  him,  the  island  was  one  of  the  most  inter 
esting  spots  in  the  world,  on  account  of  the  great 
events  that  had  transpired  there. 

"  Great  events  ?  What  great  things  have  happened 
here,  sefior  ?  "  Her  eyes  opened  wide,  and  her  sisters, 
too,  were  all  attention. 

"Why,  those  connected  with  the  discovery  of 
America  and  the  first  settlements  in  this  hemi 
sphere,  senorita.  As  your  father  can  tell  you,  it 

203 


204  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

was  through  this  very  section  that  the  invading 
army  of  Spaniards,  under  Columbus,  marched  to 
the  conquest  of  the  Indians  in  1494.  Right  within 
the  bounds  of  your  own  rancho  one  of  the  first 
towns  was  founded,  you  know." 

"  No,  I  don't  know.  Papa  never  tells  us  anything. 
He  thinks  we  can't  understand  him,  I  suppose.  But 
I  want  to  know  all  about  it,  and  so  do  sisters,  don't 
we,  children  ? "  They  signified  the  desire  to  learn 
more  of  their  island's  history,  and  after  much  urging, 
the  boys  went  with  them  out  to  the  veranda  that 
overlooked  the  garden,  where  many  gay  flowers 
bloomed  and  humming-birds  flitted  about  in  shining 
coats,  and  they  all  sat  down  together. 

"  The  real  invasion  of  this  part  of  the  island," 
began  the  young  historian,  "  was  nearly  a  year  after 
the  first  city  was  founded,  which  Columbus  called  Isa 
bella.  While  he  was  absent  in  Cuba,  many  atrocities 
had  been  committed  and  many  Indians  made  cap 
tive,  —  some  say  about  five  hundred,  —  whom  Colum 
bus,  instead  of  setting  free,  sent  to  Spain  as  slaves. 
This  was  one  of  the  first  acts  of  Columbus  that  may 
be  set  down  against  him  as  cruel  and  rapacious. 
The  natural  result  was  that  other  Indians,  hearing 
of  the  treatment  given  their  neighbors,  rebelled 
against  their  Spanish  masters,  including  those  under 
a  great  cacique  named  Guarionex,  who  was  lord  of 
all  this  region  from  the  Yaqui  to  the  Gulf  of  Samana. 

"  Some  of  his  subjects  having  stolen  a  few  trifles 


A  Picnic  on  the  Royal  Plain.          205 

from  the  Spaniards,  the  commander  of  the  forces  in 
the  field  caught  them,  cut  off  their  ears,  and  sent  them 
to  the  town  of  Isabella,  with  a  request  that  Columbus 
make  an  example  of  them  and  cut  off  their  heads. 
This  final  act  of  cruelty  was  not  performed,  but 
many  of  the  Indians  were  now  excited  and  restless, 
and  further  atrocities  by  the  Spaniards  brought  about 
their  revolt. 

"Cacique  Guarionex  was  induced  to  rise  against 
the  Spaniards  by  the  wanton  acts  of  a  small  band  of 
soldiers  who  had  been  quartered  upon  him,  and  who 
in  return  were  slain  by  the  indignant  chief  and  his 
men.  Instead  of  calmly  investigating  the  com 
plaints  of  the  Indians,  Columbus  took  sides  with 
his  fellow-countrymen  and  supported  them  in  their 
enormities,  while  the  wrongs  of  the  Indians  were 
allowed  to  go  unredressed,  until,  finally,  even  Indian 
human  nature  could  endure  no  more,  and  several 
caciques  of  the  interior  joined  with  Guarionex  for 
a  grand  assault  upon  their  enemies. 

"  The  effective  force  of  Columbus  at  that  time  did 
not  amount  to  more  than  two  hundred  men,  infantry 
and  cavalry,  but  they  were  clad  in  iron  armor,  and 
armed  with  cross-bows,  arquebuses,  swords,  lances, 
and  pikes,  and,  in  addition,  had  the  support  of  packs 
of  fierce  bloodhounds.  About  the  last  of  March, 
1495,  the  two  brothers,  Christopher  and  Bartholo 
mew  Columbus,  set  out  from  Isabella  at  the  head 
of  their  band  of  human  brutes  and  bloodhounds  to 


206  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

meet  an  army  of  Indians,  estimated  at  more  than  a 
hundred  thousand.  They  came  up  with  them  some 
where  in  this  very  region,  perhaps  on  the  site  of  your 
own  rancho,  and  as  the  poor  Indians  were  mostly 
naked,  and  had  no  arms  but  bows  and  arrows,  stone 
spears  and  battle-axes,  they  made  short  work  of 
them. 

"  No  doubt  they  were  brave  enough,  but  when  the 
red  men  saw  the  arquebuses  spitting  out  fire  and 
smoke,  and  were  mowed  down  by  the  bullets,  they 
were  at  first  astounded,  then  terrified.  And  when  the 
cavalry  charged  upon  them,  the  Indians  took  the 
horses,  which  they  had  never  seen  before,  for  super 
natural  creatures,  and  fled  in  wild  dismay.  Then  the 
cruel  Spaniards  let  loose  the  fierce  bloodhounds,  who 
tore  all  they  could  catch  to  pieces,  rending  them  limb 
from  limb.  So  the  Indians  fled  in  terror  to  the 
mountains,  and  the  Spaniards  won  a  great  victory, 
though  many  of  the  poor  creatures  reassembled 
again  farther  up  this  valley,  on  what  is  called  the 
Royal  Plain." 

"  Where  we  are  going  to-morrow,"  said  Tomasina, 
who,  like  the  rest,  had  been  a  breathless  listener  to 
the  terrible  deeds  of  their  ancestors  as  narrated  by 
the  young  stranger.  "  It  makes  me  despise  the 
Spaniards  of  those  days,"  added  the  outspoken 
Tomasina.  "  And  to  think  that  we  may  have  some 
of  their  blood  in  our  veins,  sisters !  Isn't  it  awful  ?  " 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  the  philosophic  Rita,  "  we  have 


A  Picnic  on  the  Royal  Plain.          207 

Indian  blood  in  our  veins,  too,  according  to  our 
genealogical  tree;  so  what  shall  we  do  about  it? 
There  are  five  of  us,  half  Spanish  and  half  Indian ;  if 
there  were  only  six  we  might  divide  and  fight  it  out." 

"  How  monstrous  !"  said  Olivia.  "You  and  Tom 
might  fight  it  out,  as  you  call  it ;  but  none  of  the  rest 
of  us  would,  I'm  sure." 

"I'd  fight,"  declared  Tomasina,  readily;  "but  it 
wouldn't  be  one  of  my  own  kin.  I  would  do  as  the 
poor  Indians  did  in  defence  of  my  home."  And  then 
she  added  in  a  lower  tone,  "  It  may  be  that  we  shall 
have  to  do  it  yet,  if  the  tyrant  goes  on  much  longer 
unchecked." 

"  Tut,  tut,"  said  her  father,  coming  up  just  in  time 
to  hear  this  declaration.  "  Don't  talk  treason,  Tom. 
Go,  now,  all  of  you,  to  help  your  mamma  prepare  for 
to-morrow,  for,  faith,  there  is  much  to  do." 

All  the  day  long,  at  the  rancho,  there  was  baking 
and  frying,  and  in  the  evening  a  packing  of  hampers 
and  saddle-bags  with  good  things  for  the  picnic  on 
the  morrow.  When  the  day  dawned  it  found  every 
body  not  only  awake  but  out  and  ready  to  start,  for 
while  the  distance  to  be  traversed  was  not  great,  per 
haps  about  fifteen  miles,  the  road  leading  to  the 
Royal  Plain  was  probably  one  of  the  worst  highways 
in  the  whole  world. 

The  sun  had  hardly  darted  a  ray  over  the  hills  to 
the  east  of  the  rancho  ere  the  cavalcade  —  provided  a 
collection  of  bullocks,  as  well  as  horses,  may  be  called 


208  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

a  cavalcade  —  was  ready  to  start  There  were  two 
packhorses  —  which  in  this  instance  were  donkeys  - 
laden  with  every  sort  of  provision  known  to  the 
islanders,  and  they  went  ahead,  without  either  saddle 
or  bridle  on,  being  trusty  brutes  without  any  guile  at 
all  in  their  composition.  Close  behind  them  came 
good  Seftora  Alix,  who  wished  to  be  near  the  "  carga 
burros  "  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  an  eye  upon  the 
pots  and  pans  and  stores  of  provisions,  which  she  had 
with  so  much  labor  provided.  She  was  mounted  on 
a  bullock,  and  straggling  after  her  came  all  her 
lovely  daughters,  each  one  seated  on  a  big  straw 
aparejo  or  straw  saddle  of  the  island,  firmly  fastened 
to  the  back  of  a  similar  animal. 

The  boys  were  astride  their  own  particular  bovines, 
to  whom  they  had  by  this  time  become  quite  attached, 
and  the  rear  of  the  procession  was  brought  up  by 
two  colored  servants  mounted  upon  two  diminutive 
burros,  bareback,  and  finally  the  master  of  the  rancho 
himself.  Thirteen  dumb  beasts  and  eleven  people 
comprised  the  company  that  set  out  so  early  that 
bright  morning  for  the  Royal  Plain. 

At  the  starting,  the  air  was  cool,  fragrant  with 
odors  of  f  rangipanni,  and  vocal  with  bird  music ;  but 
as  the  sun  mounted  higher  and  higher,  dissipating 
the  dews  of  morning  and  wilting  all  before  him,  the 
spirits  of  the  company  sank  correspondingly  in  inverse 
ratio  to  his  ascent. 

And  the  trail  they  followed,  called  by  courtesy  "  el 


A  Picnic  on  the  Royal  Plain.          209 

camino  real"  —  the  king's  highway,  —  who  could  do 
justice  to  the  horrors  of  that  road  ?  It  had  been  laid 
out  by  the  first  Spaniards  to  traverse  this  section 
four  hundred  years  before,  and  had  been  used  ever 
since ;  but  it  was  worse  now  than  at  the  very  begin 
ning,  for  it  had  holes  in  it  two  or  three  feet  deep,  and 
the  holes  were  filled  with  mud  and  water  which 
splashed  over  the  travellers  as  their  beasts  sank  their 
feet  within  them.  The  scenery  along  the  road,  run 
ning  as  it  did  through  beautiful  forests,  and  past 
plantations  of  plantains  and  bananas,  was  attractive ; 
but  who  could  pay  any  attention  to  scenery,  when 
eyes  and  ears  were  filled  with  mud  and  water  ? 

All  were  glad  when  at  last  the  van  of  the  proces 
sion  turned  aside  from  the  trail  and  entered  a 
scrubby  growth  of  mangos  and  guava  bushes.  The 
trees  met  over  their  heads,  and  now  and  then  there 
were  glimpses  of  ruined  walls  of  brick  and  mortar, 
which  Don  Alessandro  said  were  the  last  vestiges  of 
the  fort  Columbus  had  erected  here  in  1495  and 
called  Concepcion  de  la  Vega. 

Corralling  all  the  animals  within  the  brick  walls 
of  the  ancient  fort,  the  tired  travellers  dismounted 
and  dispersed  themselves  over  the  grassy  level  be 
neath  the  trees.  Banana  leaves  were  cut  and  spread 
on  the  ground  as  tablecloths,  and  upon  them  were 
spread  out  the  viands  which  Dona  Alix  had  prepared 
with  her  own  hands.  No  second  invitation  was 
needed  to  surround  the  banana  leaves  and  fall  to, 


2io  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

for  all  were  hungry  and  did  ample  justice  to  the 
bountiful  repast.  After  that,  when  Don  Alessandro 
had  lighted  his  cigarette,  and  the  girls  were  engaged 
with  their  mother  in  clearing  away  the  remains  of 
the  feast,  the  poet  narrated  the  history  of  the  place 
in  which  they  had  temporarily  pitched  their  camp. 

"  After  the  first  great  battle  with  the  Indians,"  he 
said,  "  and  while  there  was  a  lull  in  the  storm, 
Don  Bartholomew  and  Don  Christopher  Columbus 
improved  the  time  by  erecting  a  strong  fort  on  this 
site,  which  they  called  Concepcion  de  la  Vega.  They 
brought  bricks  from  Isabella  which  had  been  made 
in  old  Spain,  and  they  built  a  fort  after  the  most 
approved  style  of  the  age  in  which  they  lived.  They 
garrisoned  it  with  their  brave  soldiers,  and  none  too 
soon,  for  the  forces  of  Guarionex  which  they  had 
dispersed  reassembled  and  attacked  them  in  their 
stronghold.  It  was  no  use,  however,  for  the  Indians 
were  driven  away  and  around  the  fort  gathered  quite 
a  settlement.  That  old  tower  rising  over  there 
amongst  the  palms  is  all  that  remains  of  the  first 
church  erected  here,  and  only  a  few  years  ago  the 
bell  which  once  called  the  people  to  prayer  was  dis 
covered  hanging  in  the  branches  of  a  wild  fig  tree. 

"An  earthquake  destroyed  the  town  and  shook 
down  the  walls  of  the  fort  in  1565,  and  ever  since 
the  place  has  been  in  ruins  and,  they  say,  haunted 
by  the  ghosts  of  the  departed  caballeros.  Yes, 
senores,  they  have  been  met  here,  and  not  many 


A  Picnic  on  the  Royal  Plain.          211 

years  ago  whole  troops  of  them,  and  when  saluted 
they  would  take  off  their  hats  very  courteously,  but 
with  their  hats  off  came  their  heads,  also.  Ugh, 
I  don't  want  to  meet  those  ghosts  of  the  hidalgos 
who  perished  here,  my  friends,  for  such  a  meeting 
portends  dire  disaster." 

In  the  afternoon  they  all  remounted  their  beasts 
and  rode  up  the  hill  called  "  El  Cerro,"  six  hundred 
feet  in  height,  and  on  the  summit  of  which  is  a 
votive  chapel.  They  attracted  much  attention  from 
the  few  natives  living  here,  who  flocked  out  to  sell 
them  silver  charms,  amulets,  and  bottles  of  healing 
water  from  a  wonderful  spring  which  had  the  repu 
tation  of  turning  everything  into  glass  that  fell  or 
was  thrown  into  it.  Near  the  church  stands  a  ragged 
old  walnut  tree,  beneath  which,  according  to  tradition, 
the  great  Columbus  stood  and  viewed  the  triumph  of 
his  army  over  the  Indians  when,  for  the  third  and 
last  time,  they  attempted  to  drive  the  invaders  away. 

This  battle  was  the  consummation  of  the  Indians' 
woes,  for  they  were  decisively  defeated,  and  ever 
after  that  they  were  the  Spaniards'  slaves.  They 
planted  their  fields  for  them,  and  toiled  in  the 
mines  until  they  dropped  dead  from  fatigue  and 
all  perished. 


XXIII. 

San  Cochoy  a  Feast  without  Forks. 

F  |  AHE  view  outspread  from  the  porch  of  the  little 
\_     church  on  the  summit  of  the  Santo  Cerro,  or 
Holy  Hill,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world. 

So  Columbus  said,  when  for  the  first  time  he  gazed 
upon  it  from  beneath  the  walnut  tree  which  is  still 
known  as  the  "  nispero  de  Colon,"  and  the  few 
travellers  who  have  been  favored  with  this  view  have 
fully  indorsed  his  opinion.  For  the  hill  rises  six 
hundred  feet  sheer  above  a  vast  plain  which  envelops 
it  on  every  side.  Over  this  plain  are  scattered  thou 
sands  upon  thousands  of  royal  palm  trees,  and  amid 
them  the  thatched  huts  of  the  farmers  peer  out  from 
their  bowers  of  flowers  and  foliage.  It  was  called 
by  Columbus  the  Vega  Real,  or  Royal  Plain,  and 
will  forever  hold  the  preeminence  for  beauty  that 
induced  him  to  bestow  upon  it  the  regal  title. 

After  the  boys  had  feasted  their  eyes  upon  this 
beautiful  landscape,  Don  Alessandro  said  they  must 
be  going  if  they  would  reach  home  before  night,  as 
he  desired  to  pay  his  respects  to  some  people  on  the 
way  and  to  invite  them  to  spend  the  morrow  at  the 
rancho. 

212 


San  Cocho,  a  Feast  without  Forks.     213 

So  they  set  out  on  the  return  journey,  reaching 
home  without  accident  and  finding  themselves  as 
hungry  as  bears  when  they  arrived.  It  was  to  the 
great  credit  of  the  horses,  burros,  and  bullocks  that 
they  behaved  with  eminent  discretion  all  the  way  out 
and  back,  save  only  for  the  beast  ridden  by  Rosalina, 
which  attempted  to  run  away  with  its  fair  charge. 
She  was,  however,  rescued  by  Hartley,  just  on  the 
brink  of  a  steep  bank  where  a  fall  might  have  been 
very  dangerous.  Thus  there  were  two  of  Don  Ales- 
sandro's  daughters  who  were  likely  to  regard  these 
young  men  in  the  light  of  heroes,  and  a  continued 
stay  at  the  rancho  might  cause  their  acquaintance 
to  ripen  into  friendship. 

It  was  to  this  effect  that  the  boys  spoke  to  Don 
Alessandro  that  night,  after  the  girls  had  all  retired 
and  the  house  was  quiet:  "We  must  soon  be  going, 
senor,"  Arthur  said  to  him  as  they  sat  on  the  ve 
randa.  "  It  is  delightful  here  and  we  should  like  to 
stay  for  weeks ;  but  at  the  same  time  the  season  is 
advancing,  the  rains  will  soon  be  here,  and  we  must 
improve  the  dry  weather." 

"Tush!  nonsense!"  replied  the  poet.  "What 
business  can  you  have  in  the  mountains  to  take  you 
away  from  a  place  where  all  are  devoted  to  you  ?  It 
must  be  urgent,  faith.  Why,  my  sons,  the  girls  will 
cry  their  eyes  out.  They  haven't  had  such  a  good 
time  for  years." 

"  We  should  like  to  think  so,  of  course,"  rejoined 


214  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Arthur ;  "  and  if  we  could  be  of  any  service  by  stay 
ing,  we  would  surely  stay." 

' 'Well,  Art,  you  might,  if  you  wanted  to,"  said 
Hartley,  "  but  as  for  me  I'm  going  into  the  moun 
tains,  even  if  all  the  girls  in  the  island  weep  at  our 
departure.  Don  Alessandro,  you  are  so  hospitable 
that  I  really  believe  you  would  keep  us  the  rest  of 
the  year." 

"  Faith,  my  son,  I  certainly  would,  for  I  like  you 
both,  and  also  my  people  like  you,  and  that  is  enough 
with  us  here.  We  have  not  riches,  we  have  very 
few  enjoyments,  but  at  least  we  are  sincere." 

"  I  believe  it,  seflor,  and  we  would  gladly  stay ;  but 
to-morrow,  or  next  day  at  the  farthest,  we  must 
really  start  on  our  journey." 

"  Well,  so  be  it,"  said  the  poet,  with  a  sigh.  "  But 
first  you  are  going  to  have  a  taste  of  a  country  bar 
becue  —  what  we  call  a  '  san  cochoj  or  feast  without 
forks.  It  is  a  sort  of  picnic,  to  which  we  shall  invite 
our  neighbors,  and  I  think  you  will  find  it  novel,  if 
not  interesting." 

"I'm  sure  we  shall,"  said  Arthur.  "And  it  will 
make  another  favor  for  which  we  shall  be  indebted 
to  you.  I've  heard  of  the  san  cocho,  but  have 
never  yet  tried  one.  It  will  be  a  new  experience  to 
me." 

"  And  to  me,  also,"  said  Hartley.  "  It  is  just  the 
thing  I  wanted  to  try.  How  clever  of  you,  Don 
Alessandro,  to  think  of  it." 


San  Cocho,  a  Feast  without  Forks.     215 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  the  poet.  "It  was  the  most 
natural  thing  in  the  world.  The  san  cocho  is  one 
of  our  'institutions,'  as  you  Yankees  say,  and  I 
would  not  think  of  allowing  you  to  go  away  without 
having  tried  it.  But  it  is  late,  sefiores ;  let  us  to 
bed  ;  and  may  you  have  better  rest  than  you  had  last 
night.  I  must  go  out  to  see  that  all  is  prepared  for 
the  morrow.  Buenas  noches  —  sleep  well." 

As  their  room  had  been  well  attended  to  during  the 
preceding  day,  the  boys  found  but  few  pernicious 
insects  to  interfere  with  their  rest,  and  the  next  morn 
ing  awoke  refreshed.  Another  glorious  dawn,  as  per 
fect  as  that  of  yesterday,  greeted  them  on  going  into 
the  open  air.  At  coffee  all  the  young  ladies  joined 
them,  fresh  as  flowers,  and  radiant  at  the  prospect 
of  another  picnic.  They  chatted  amongst  themselves 
in  the  bright,  birdlike  way  they  had,  and  now  and 
then  threw  a  question  at  the  young  men ;  but  it  was 
very  evident  that  they  did  not  view  with  favor  the 
contemplated  departure  of  their  guests,  and  that  they 
resented  it.  There  was  a  certain  shyness  in  their 
behavior  and  an  air  of  constraint,  which  spoke  louder 
than  words,  and  impressed  the  young  men  painfully. 
But  although  they  surmised  the  cause  of  it  to  be  the 
rejection  of  their  hospitality,  they  did  not  falter  in 
their  determination  to  set  out  for  the  mountains  the 
very  next  day. 

There  was  bustle  and  activity  all  the  forenoon  at 
the  rancho  of  Don  Alessandro  Alix,  for  more  than  a 


216  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

score  of  invitations  had  been  sent  out,  and  long  before 
noon  the  neighbors  began  to  arrive.  Some  were 
black  and  some  were  colored,  as  to  their  complexions, 
and  but  two  or  three  of  them  were  white ;  but  all 
came  eagerly  and  joyfully  to  partake  of  Don  Ales- 
sandro's  san  cocko,  for  the  making  of  which  he 
was  famous  throughout  Santiago  province.  Indeed, 
it  was  said  that  his  fame  as  a  master  "  san  cochero  " 
had  extended  far  beyond  the  borders  of  the  province, 
and  that  those  high  and  mighty  in  authority  would  be 
only  too  glad  to  sit  down  at  his  festive  board.  Be 
that  as  it  may,  high  noon  found  all  the  banqueters 
arrived,  and  out  under  the  double  row  of  mango  trees 
in  the  garden  a  table,  made  of  boards  supported  upon 
trestles,  more  than  forty  feet  in  length. 

Out  in  the  corral  were  the  various  animals  that  had 
been  ridden  in  by  the  invited  guests  :  burros,  bullocks, 
and  scraggy  ponies,  hitched  to  posts,  and  each  beast 
with  a  big  bundle  of  maloja  or  cane  fodder  piled 
up  before  it.  The  flies  were  numerous  out  in  the 
corral,  and  the  sun  poured  down  a  flood  of  caloric ; 
but  the  poor  beasts  did  not  seem  to  mind  it,  having 
become  used  to  flies  and  sun  through  long  experience. 
The  boys  thought  the  aparejos  or  straw  saddles  ought 
to  be  removed,  if  no  other  provision  were  made 
for  the  animals'  comfort;  but  when  they  spoke  to 
Don  Alessandro  about  it,  he  laughed  at  the  sugges 
tion. 

"  Ah,  you  Americanos,"  he  said  with  a  patronizing 


San  Cocho,  a  Feast  without  Forks.     217 

smile.  "  You  spoil  all  your  beasts  by  kind  treatment. 
I  have  heard  that  there  is  no  country  on  earth  where 
horses,  for  instance,  are  better  cared  for  and  more 
petted  than  in  the  States,  and  yet  they  are  the  worst 
kickers  in  the  world.  Now,  our  horses  and  bullocks 
are  all  so  well  disciplined  that  they  never  kick  under 
any  provocation  whatever.  Not  even  the  mules  will 
kick,  senores,  nor  the  burros.  And  do  you  know  why? 
Well,  it  is  because  we  show  them,  early  and  often, 
that  we  are  their  masters.  Yes,  we  are  cruel,  I 
admit,  but  it  is  better  to  be  cruel  to  the  beast  than 
to  yourself.  We  ride  our  horses  with  sharp  spurs 
and  bits  that  would  break  their  jaws  if  force  were 
employed,  and  we  do  it  because  we  are  the  riders, 
and  not  the  horses.  If  we  did  not  use  force  and 
make  them  understand  we  were  likely  to  kill  them 
if  they  did  not  obey  our  slightest  wish,  they  would 
become  stubborn  and  unruly  like  those  caballos 
Americanos." 

The  boys  rather  demurred  at  this,  but  Don  Ales- 
sandro  shook  his  head  at  their  suggestion  to  take  the 
rings  out  of  their  bullocks'  nostrils  and  guide  them 
by  means  of  bridles. 

"  Don't  do  it,"  he  said  quite  earnestly.  "  Don't  do 
it;  for  if  you  do  they  will  run  away  with  you  and 
perhaps  throw  you  over  the  first  precipice  they  come 
across.  But  come  with  me.  I  want  to  show  you  a 
lovely  sight." 

The  boys  followed  their  host  to  an  open  shed  back 


2i 8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

of  the  house,  beneath  the  thatched  roof  of  which 
stood  a  dome-shaped  "  homo  "  or  oven,  made  of  clay, 
about  four  feet  high,  and  with  a  small  opening  in  one 
side  stopped  up  with  a  great  flat  tile.  Kicking  aside 
the  earthen  tile,  Don  Alessandro  looked  in,  then 
withdrew,  rubbing  his  hands  with  satisfaction. 

"  Look  inside,  my  sons,  and  you  will  see  the  pretti 
est  pair  of  pigs  that  ever  graced  a  san  cocho" 

Stooping  down  they  did  as  directed,  and  saw  re 
posing  upon  the  smooth  clay  floor  of  the  homo  a  pair 
of  small  "  porkers,"  each  with  a  corn-cob  in  its  mouth 
and  with  feet  curled  up  as  if  in  supplication,  being 
toasted  a  most  beautiful  brown. 

"Isn't  that  a  lovely  sight?"  asked  Don  Alessan 
dro.  "  Faith,  it  is  such  a  pretty  theme  for  a  poem 
that  I  believe  I'll  write  one  while  the  little  darlings 
are  roasting  and  take  it  in  with  them  to  my  guests. 
My  sons,  I  shall  now  retire  to  my  den,  which  is  out 
there  beyond  the  acacia  trees.  But,  as  you  value  my 
friendship,  my  sons,  do  not  lisp  a  word  as  to  my 
whereabouts,  for  my  muse  is  a  jealous  mistress,  and 
my  wife  has  strict  orders  not  to  interrupt  us  while  we 
are  in  sweet  communion.  Go  you  to  the  festal  board, 
and  partake  of  the  viands  that  shall  be  offered  you, 
and  if  inquiry  is  made  for  Don  Alessandro,  the  Poet 
of  the  Sierras,  say  you  nothing,  for  I  shall  appear 
in  due  time,  bearing  aloft  that  beautiful  pair,  and 
with  an  effusion  that  will  be  as  sauce  to  the  meats. 
Faith,  my  sons,  I  believe  my  Poem  on  the  Pigs  may 


San  Cocho,  a  Feast  without  Forks.     219 

yet  make  me  immortal,  for  I  feel  stirring  within  me 
the  divine  afflatus.  Go.  But  stay  a  moment.  If  my 
wife  asks  of  you  where  I  am,  tell  her  I  am  not  to  be 
disturbed,  and  will  appear  in  due  time.  She  will 
understand." 

The  young  men  did  as  directed,  and  when  they 
arrived  at  the  place  where  the  table  was  spread  found 
the  guests  already  assembled  and  awaiting  their  com 
ing.  At  the  head  of  the  table  sat  Seftora  Alix  and 
on  each  side  of  her  a  long  row  of  expectant  guests : 
men,  women,  and  numerous  children,  dispersed 
amongst  whom  were  the  five  lovely  Senoritas  Alix, 
who  also  looked,  not  only  expectant,  but  decidedly 
uneasy. 

Tomasina  motioned  the  boys  to  take  seats,  one  on 
each  side  of  her,  facing  Rita  and  Rosalina.  Carmen 
and  Olivia  looked  disappointed,  when  they  saw  the 
disposition  made  of  their  guests,  for  they  were  left 
without  an  opportunity  even  to  speak  to  them.  But 
there  was  no  time  to  lose,  since  three  great  steam 
ing  dishes  of  food  were  on  the  table,  and  everybody 
seemed  anxious  to  begin  operations,  —  especially  the 
children,  who  were  not  at  all  backward  in  announc 
ing  their  wants. 

Senora  Alix  and  two  of  her  daughters  then  served 
the  contents  of  the  tureens,  and  soon  each  guest  had 
before  him  or  her  a  plateful,  to  which  strict  attention 
was  paid  until  the  ravenous  appetites  seemed  some 
what  satisfied.  Then  there  was  a  scramble  for  the 


22O  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

tureens,  each  guest  thrusting  a  hand  into  the  near 
est  dish  and  drawing  out  a  bit  of  meat,  a  bone,  or 
chicken  wing,  and  depositing  it  on  the  plate  of  the 
person  sitting  within  reach. 

This  seemed  to  the  boys  quite  an  unconventional 
proceeding  (to  put  it  mildly)  and  not  altogether  appetiz 
ing.  They  didn't  mind  much  when  Tomasina  thrust 
in  her  dainty  fingers  and  pulled  out  a  choice  morsel, 
which  she  placed  upon  their  plates  ;  but  when  a  burly 
peasant  did  the  same  they  rather  recoiled,  for  his 
hands  were  neither  dainty  nor  clean.  Still,  as  their 
motto  had  ever  been,  "When  in  Rome,  do  as  the 
Romans  do,"  they  rallied  quickly  and  followed  fash 
ion,  fishing  out  tidbits  from  the  tureen  opposite,  and 
dropping  them  on  their  neighbors'  plates,  much  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  recipients. 

After  all  had  been  helped  in  this  fashion,  there 
was  a  lull  in  the  proceedings,  and  everybody  now 
looked  anxiously  in  the  direction  of  the  homo,  where 
by  this  time  the  little  pigs  should  be  done  to  a  turn 
and  ready  to  serve. 


XXIV. 

The  Poem  and  the  Little  Pigs. 

"  T  WONDER  where  papa  is?  "  said  Tomasina  to 

A.  Arthur,  who  sat  on  her  right.  "  He  should 
have  been  here  long  ago,  of  course ;  and,  moreover,  he 
gave  orders  this  morning  that  no  one  but  he  should 
serve  the  sucking  pigs  which  are  roasting  out  in  the 
homo" 

Both  Arthur  and  Hartley  felt  very  uneasy  about 
this  time,  and  also  rather  guilty,  since  they  were  the 
only  ones  at  the  table  who  knew  the  whereabouts  of 
the  recreant  host.  But  what  could  they  do  ?  He 
had  made  them  promise  not  to  divulge  his  hiding- 
place  to  any  one  but  the  senora,  and  even  then  not  in 
so  many  words. 

"  If  I  may  speak  to  the  senora,"  answered  Arthur 
to  Tomasina's  indirect  question,  "  perhaps  I  can  en 
lighten  her  without  betraying  a  trust." 

The  girl  gazed  at  him  in  astonishment,  then  a 
look  of  enlightenment  came  over  her  face  and  she 
laughed.  "Why,  certainly  you  may,  Don  Arturo. 
But  you  need  say  no  more,  for  I  have  guessed  what 
it  is  already.  Oh,  my  dear,  foolish  papa."  Then  she 
said,  raising  her  voice :  "  Mamma,  I  believe  papa's 

221 


222  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

gone  off  to  his  den  to  write  a  poem  and  has  forgotten 
those  pigs  entirely.  Is  it  not  so,  senor  ?  " 

Arthur  looked  at  his  brother  and  both  burst  out 
laughing,  for  they  could  not  help  it.  "  Better  con 
fess,  Art,"  said  Hartley.  "  Come,  out  with  it." 

"No,"  replied  Arthur,  "I  shall  not  tell.  But 
seftorita,"  —  turning  to  Tomasina,  —  "I  will  say  this 
much  :  I  fear  your  father  has  forgotten  the  pigs." 

"  Of  course  he  has,"  declared  Senora  Alix  and  her 
daughters,  in  chorus.  "  He  always  forgets,  —  poor 
papa,"  said  Olivia,  with  such  a  comical  grimace 
that  all  the  guests  at  table,  big  and  little,  fell  to 
laughing,  and  for  the  moment  quite  forgot  their 
disappointment. 

"  But  somebody  must  get  the  pigs,"  said  the  senora. 
"  Dear  me,  they  will  be  burnt  to  a  crisp.  Don  Theo 
dore,"  she  added,  addressing  a  man  near  her,  "  won't 
you  kindly  come  to  the  rescue  ? " 

"With  pleasure,  senora,"  replied  Don  Theodore; 
and  away  he  went. 

Now,  to  improve  the  occasion  and  fill  the  interim 
while  Don  Theodore  is  absent,  we  may  as  well  in 
spect  the  contents  —  such  as  are  left — of  the  tureens, 
for  they  alone  are  held  to  make  a  real  san  cocho  a 
grand  success  without  the  addition  of  anything 
else. 

Each  tureen  held  what  the  Italians  would  call  an 
" olla  podrida"  or  a  little  of  all  sorts.  The  West 
Indians  have  a  similar  dish  in  universal  use  and 


The  Poem  and  the  Little  Pigs.        223 

great  esteem,  which  they  call  "pepper-pot,"  or  casa- 
reep,  and  it  is  made  as  follows :  Into  a  large  earthen 
vessel  are  thrown  the  odds  and  ends  of  meats  from 
time  to  time,  perhaps  for  months,  such  as  bits  of 
pork,  chicken  wings,  etc.  Ordinarily  these  accumula 
tions  would  decay  in  a  very  short  time,  for  meats  do 
not  keep  more  than  a  day  or  two  in  the  tropics,  on 
account  of  the  heat.  But  these  are  kept  from  decay 
ing  by  a  preparation  of  cassava  juice,  which  is  a 
deadly  poison  when  raw  or  crude,  but  becomes  whole 
some  and  an  antiseptic,  or  preventive  of  decay,  when 
subjected  to  heat.  The  poisonous  property  of  the 
cassava  evaporates  when  boiled,  and  leaves  the  "  fa 
rina,"  from  which  flour  is  made,  and  the  juice  both 
harmless  and  palatable.  This  was  one  of  the  many 
discoveries  of  the  Indians  who  lived  in  these  islands 
before  the  first  white  men  came. 

The  objectionable  custom  of  taking  a  tidbit  out  of 
the  pot  with  one's  fingers  is  considered  a  mark  of 
high  esteem  and  hospitality,  so  that  the  boys  did 
just  right  in  reciprocating,  and  would  have  deeply 
offended  their  genial  hosts  if  they  had  not  eaten  the 
morsels  placed  in  this  manner  upon  their  plates. 

But  here  comes  Don  Theodore,  bearing  aloft  a 
huge  trencher  upon  which  recline  the  unfortunate 
porkers.  His  appearance  is  saluted  with  a  chorus  of 
"  ohs  "  and  "  ahs  "  from  the  juvenile  members  of  the 
company,  and  with  exclamations  of  disappointment 
from  Seftora  Alix  and  her  daughters,  when  they  see 


224  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

that  the  hapless  animals  have  been  burned  literally 
as  black  as  one's  hat. 

"  My  precious  little  piggies,"  moaned  the  good 
senora.  "To  think  they  should  have  met  such  a 
fate  as  that!  Ay  de  mi — alas  is  me  —  what  a  hus 
band  that  is  of  mine  !  "  And  she  wept,  actually  shed 
tears,  as  she  saw  the  charred  remains  brought  in  and 
laid  before  her.  The  daughters  all  joined  in  the 
general  lamentation ;  but  the  gallant  Don  Theodore, 
who  was  an  amiable  gentleman  of  middle  age,  an 
admirer  of  the  eldest  daughter,  as  in  duty  bound 
reminded  her  that,  while  the  skins  might  be  rather 
black  and  overdone,  yet,  no  doubt,  the  meat  was 
palatable. 

And  sure  enough,  when  the  trenchers  had  been 
placed  upon  the  board  and  the  charred  skins  re 
moved,  the  flesh  was  found  to  be  the  most  delicious 
that  had  ever  been  offered  at  any  san  cocho  within 
the  memory  of  man  —  or  woman,  too,  as  to  that  mat 
ter.  It  was  not  very  long,  in  fact,  before  the  little 
porkers  were  deprived  of  nearly  all  the  toothsome 
meat  that  covered  their  ivory  ribs,  and  stripped  even 
to  their  "  trotters."  From  hand  to  hand  passed  fra 
grant  fragments  shredded  from  them,  and  the  plates 
of  the  American  guests  were  piled  high  with  votive 
offerings  which  they  neither  had  the  courage  to 
refuse  nor  to  devour.  Their  sudden  loss  of  appetite 
was  overlooked  in  the  general  rejoicing,  and  they 
were  not  chided  for  what  would  have  been  con- 


The  Poem  and  the  Little  Pigs.        225 

sidered  on  ordinary  occasions  a  serious  breach  of 
hospitality. 

Even  Senora  Alix  was  rendered  happy  by  the  un 
expected  turn  of  affairs,  and  shed  tears  again  —  this 
time  of  joy  —  to  think  that,  after  all,  her  darling  pig 
gies  had  not  lived  and  died  in  vain.  And  after  all 
was  over,  —  after  the  pair  had  been  reduced  to  less 
than  the  dimensions  of  a  single  porker,  and  while 
everybody  was  resting  on  his  laurels,  so  to  speak,  — 
there  appeared  the  delinquent  Don  Alessandro,  hat- 
less  and  almost  breathless,  waving  above  his  head  a 
manuscript  apparently  several  yards  in  length. 

There  was  an  instant  hush,  the  hum  of  conversa 
tion  and  the  clashing  plates  suddenly  ceased,  and  for 
once  in  his  life  the  poet  had  an  attentive  audience. 
He  could  not  have  appeared  at  a  more  propitious 
time,  for  everybody  had  eaten  to  repletion  and  was 
in  that  blissful  state  of  contentment  which  has  been 
declared  to  be  better  than  wealth.  One  of  the 
guests  offered  him  a  bench  and  he  sat  down,  but 
when  pressed  to  partake  of  the  remains  yet  on  the 
table,  he  refused  with  a  great  show  of  impatience. 

"  His  head  is  in  the  clouds,"  whispered  Tomasina 
to  the  boys.  "  He  has  forgotten  all  about  the  pigs, 
and  as  for  eating,  he  would  sooner  think  of  flying." 

And  so  it  seemed,  for  Don  Alessandro  had  that 
far-away  look  in  his  eyes  which  is  said  to  indicate 
the  true  poet.  Commanding  attention,  he  rose  and 
read  to  his  guests  the  poem  he  had  composed  about 


226  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  pigs,  which  he  had  neglected  in  a  material  sense, 
but  had  now  embalmed  in  verse.  It  was  long;  truth 
compels  the  statement  that  it  was  awful  bosh,  and  it 
was  in  Spanish,  else  the  readers  of  this  true  story 
should  have  the  benefit  of  a  literal  translation.  But 
his  hearers  sat  it  out,  during  more  than  half  an  hour, 
and  at  its  close  raised  him  to  a  pinnacle  of  happiness 
by  their  rapturous  applause.  Don  Alessandro,  indeed, 
was  deceived  by  the  testimonial  into  thinking  that  it 
was  intended  for  an  encore,  and  was  about  inflicting 
a  repetition  upon  his  hearers  when  his  wife  rose  to 
the  occasion,  thrust  him  into  a  seat  and  a  choice 
morsel  of  pork  into  his  mouth,  thus  effectually  stop 
ping  all  further  foolishness.  Don  Alessandro  found 
the  meat  so  sweet  and  to  his  liking  that  he  fell  to 
with  great  gusto,  and  soon  forgot  all  about  the  poem 
in  his  devotion  to  the  pork. 

And  so  everybody  at  last  was  made  happy  and  the 
san  cocho  was  pronounced  the  success  of  the  season. 
Indeed,  Don  Alessandro's  reputation  as  a  cook  was 
so  firmly  established  that  he  afterward  had  more 
calls  to  preside  at  san  cochos  than  he  could  attend 
to.  He  always  made  a  point  of  acceding  to  requests 
of  this  sort  whenever  possible,  especially  as  his 
neighbors,  knowing  his  weakness,  invariably  invited 
him  not  only  to  cook  the  pigs  but  to  bring  with  him 
"that  beautiful  poem"  he  had  composed.  It  was 
always  noticed,  however,  that  the  pigs  seemed  to  hold 
first  place  in  their  esteem,  and  some  people  were  un- 


The  Poem  and  the  Little  Pigs.         227 

generous  enough,  after  they  had  partaken  of  the 
food  he  had  cooked,  to  leave  the  table  in  great  haste 
when  the  poem  was  produced.  On  these  occasions 
—  whenever  their  departure  was  so  abrupt  as  to 
attract  his  attention  —  Don  Alessandro  consoled  him 
self  with  the  reflection  that  it  was  ever  the  misfor 
tune  of  genius  to  be  misunderstood. 

In  justice  to  Don  Alessandro,  it  should  be  said  that 
his  weakness  for  poetry  was  the  only  real  failing  he 
had ;  but  this  was  more  than  enough  to  counter 
balance  his  many  virtues,  his  wife  and  daughters 
thought,  since  it  made  him  so  unpractical  and 
kept  them  ever  on  the  verge  of  poverty.  Really, 
these  estimable  ladies  are  entitled  to  our  sympathy 
and  admiration,  on  account  of  the  heroic  manner  in 
which  they  bore  up  under  their  inflictions.  To  be 
isolated  on  a  lonely  rancho  without  intercourse  with 
the  best  of  their  kind  was  bad  enough ;  but  when 
in  addition  to  that  they  were  compelled  to  exercise 
rigid  economy  for  the  sake  of  a  mere  living,  their 
cheerful  spirits  under  the  circumstances  were  won 
derful.  If  it  be  true  that  adversity  and  isolation 
bring  out  whatever  good  there  is  in  people,  then  they 
were  living  exemplars  of  this  truth.  They  were  little 
less  than  angelic,  the  boys  thought,  and  when  the 
time  came  for  them  to  say  good-by,  on  the  morning 
after  the  feast,  they  felt  a  tenderness  for  this  family 
which  they  could  not  express.  It  is  not  often  that 
one  travelling  far  from  his  native  land  finds  such 


228  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

true  friends  as  these  had  been  to  our  young  treasure- 
seekers.  Although,  truth  to  tell,  there  is  more  good 
ness  in  the  world  than  the  world  has  credit  for. 

But  the  morning  came  at  last  when  their  depar 
ture  could  be  no  longer  delayed.  The  bullocks  were 
brought  around,  high  stepping  and  skittish  from  their 
days  of  rest  and  good  feeding ;  on  their  backs  the 
boys'  equipment  was  piled  and  firmly  strapped ;  and 
while  they  impatiently  pawed  the  earth  in  front  of 
the  veranda,  their  owners  bade  the  family  farewell. 

It  may  seem  an  easy  matter  to  bid  good-by  to  such 
as  these,  who  were  in  a  manner  casual  acquaintances; 
but  at  the  sight  of  the  teary  eyes  of  those  five  young 
ladies  and  their  mother,  and  the  fierce  expression  on 
the  countenance  of  Don  Alessandro,  caused  by  his 
attempt  to  keep  his  own  feelings  from  finding  vent, 
the  boys  found  it  difficult  to  say  farewell  with  a 
steady  voice.  It  is  to  their  credit  that  their  eyes, 
too,  were  moist  and  their  voices  trembling  with 
emotion.  They  may  not  have  seemed  the  kind  to 
give  way  to  their  feelings,  and  perhaps  they  have 
not  been  adequately  presented  by  the  narrator  of 
their  adventures ;  but  the  fact  is  they  were  kind- 
hearted  and  they  knew  how  to  prize  such  friends  as 
these.  To  learn  the  worth  of  friends,  go  out  into  the 
world  as  they  went.  Those  one  meets  will  be  appre 
ciated;  those  left  at  home  will  have  their  value 
enhanced. 

"  Well,  you  are  off  for  good,  are  you  ? "    asked 


The  Poem  and  the  Little  Pigs.        229 

Don  Alessandro.  "You  are  two  fools,  that's  all  I 
have  to  say ! "  And  he  turned  aside  to  hide  his 
disappointment. 

"  Indeed,  but  you  are,"  chirped  Rita,  saucy  as 
ever,  even  though  smitten  with  grief  at  the  thought 
of  their  departure.  "  You  will  get  into  all  sorts  of 
trouble,  I  know  you  will." 

"Oh,"  exclaimed  Tomasina,  "you  have  forgotten 
the  swords  ! "  She  ran  into  the  house  and  soon 
returned  with  the  Toledos,  each  blade  shining  and 
spotless,  telling  of  the  labor  that  must  have  been 
expended  to  put  them  in  order.  "  There,"  she  said 
almost  gayly,  as  she  gave  them  to  the  boys.  "  One 
of  these  is  for  the  tyrant,  remember  !  "  And  she 
smiled  through  her  tears,  as  if  firmly  convinced  that 
they  would  render  a  good  account  of  their  charge. 


XXV. 

What  happened  in  the  Night. 

AS  the  boys  mounted,  each  one  tucked  his  sword 
away  between  his  left  leg  and  the  saddle,  after 
the  manner  in  which  the  Dominicanos  carried  their 
machetes,  and  as  each  blade  was  encased  in  a  leather 
sheath,  it  did  not  attract  much  attention. 

After  they  were  mounted  they  would  fain  have 
lingered  for  a  few  more  last  words  ;  but  their  bovine 
steeds  were  fractious  and  took  the  bits  in  their 
mouths,  —  that  is,  they  lifted  their  noses  so  high  in 
air,  that  pulling  on  the  rings  would  not  hurt  them 
much,  —  and  cantered  away  at  a  two-forty  pace. 
Fortunately  the  gate  was  open,  or  the  chances  are 
they  would  have  tried  to  leap  it,  and  so  they  went 
out  into  the  lane  as  if  all  the  cowboys  of  Texas  were 
after  them. 

The  boys'  exit  was  not  very  dignified,  what  with 
their  camp  equipage,  such  as  frying  pans  and  tin 
cups,  banging  against  their  bullocks'  ribs,  and  their 
arms  flying  out  at  right  angles  with  their  bodies,  but 
they  were  much  relieved  to  think  the  ordeal  was 
over.  Above  the  din  they  heard  the  girls'  voices 

230 


What  happened  in  the  Night.          231 

sending  after  them  a  last  farewell,  with  injunctions 
to  come  back  after  they  had  done  their  work. 

Turning  in  their  saddles  the  boys  waved  a  final 
adieu,  then  gave  rein  to  the  bullocks  and  tore  down 
the  lane  until  the  rebellious  animals  were  glad 
enough  to  ease  up  a  bit.  They  travelled  all  that 
day  in  a  northerly  direction,  halting  only  a  half  hour 
at  noon,  and  at  night  when  the  shadows  began  to 
lengthen,  found  themselves  on  the  borders  of  a  pine- 
wood  country  at  the  right  bank  of  a  sparkling  stream. 
They  had  steadily  climbed  the  hills  since  noon,  and 
the  elevation  was  now  quite  great,  the  air  being  cor 
respondingly  cooler.  They  tethered  their  bullocks 
in  a  pasture  of  wild  grass,  first  removing  their  lug 
gage,  made  a  fire  of  pine  cones  and  cooked  a  frugal 
meal,  after  which  they  wrapped  themselves  in  their 
blankets,  each  at  the  foot  of  a  great  tree,  and  went 
to  sleep. 

They  were  now  in  the  enemy's  country,  or  in  a 
region  where  they  knew  their  movements  were  likely 
to  be  watched  ;  but  they  put  their  trust  in  Providence 
and  each  "slept  with  one  eye  open." 

Toward  morning,  it  might  have  been  two  or  three 
o'clock,  Hartley  was  awakened  by  something  cold 
being  pressed  against  his  face.  He  put  out  one  hand 
without  stirring  otherwise,  except  to  slide  the  other 
hand  downward  and  grasp  his  rifle  which  lay  by  his 
side,  and  felt  something  which  he  knew  at  once  was 
the  muzzle  of  his  bullock,  from  a  peculiar  twist  of 


23 2  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  nose  ring,  and  was  at  once  so  reassured  that  he 
sat  up  and  looked  around.  The  animal  stood  close 
by  his  side,  dimly  outlined  in  the  dusk,  and  when  he 
saw  that  his  master  was  awake  he  uttered  a  low 
"moo"  of  recognition.  Had  he  taken  another  step 
he  might  have  trodden  upon  the  recumbent  form  of 
his  owner  ;  but  he  was  too  wise  a  brute  for  that. 

Hartley  was  startled  ;  not  so  much  at  the  sight  of 
the  bullock,  as  at  the  thought  of  his  being  free,  for 
he  had  securely  staked  him  out  before  he  had  gone 
to  sleep.  He  spoke  to  the  animal  in  a  low  voice, 
rubbed  his  nose  awhile,  then  sliding  one  hand  along 
the  lariat  attached  to  his  neck,  gathered  it  all  in  until 
he  came  to  the  end.  It  was  as  he  had  feared.  The 
lariat  had  been  cut. 

That  meant,  of  course,  human  interlopers,  bent 
either  upon  stealing  the  bullocks  or  stampeding  them 
for  the  sake  of  more  surely  getting  their  masters  into 
their  power.  Hartley  felt  the  blood  settle  about  his 
heart,  and  he  grew  cold  at  the  thought,  for  even  at 
that  moment  the  intruder  might  be  watching  him 
from  some  near-by  place  of  concealment.  He  snug 
gled  against  the  tree  as  closely  as  possible,  in  order 
to  present  no  conspicuous  mark  for  the  enemy  to 
shoot  at,  and  then  tried  to  unravel  the  mystery.  His 
first  impulse,  of  course,  was  to  awaken  Arthur,  who 
was  still  sleeping  peacefully  near  him  ;  but  the  nec 
essary  movement  would,  he  reflected,  expose  them 
both,  and  he  shrank  back  again.  No,  he  could  not 


What  happened  in  the  Night.          233 

arouse  his  brother,  but  must  await  the  coming  of  the 
dawn.  So  he  sat  there  with  the  lariat  in  one  hand,  the 
other  grasping  his  trusty  rifle,  and  awaited  daylight. 

How  slowly  sped  the  minutes  and  the  hours !  His 
fancy  evoked  strange  dark  forms  that  flitted  noise 
lessly  from  tree  to  thicket,  stretched  out  arms  to  seize 
and  seemed  about  to  grapple  with  him,  as  he  sat  in 
silence  with  his  back  against  the  tree.  The  bullock 
lay  down  and  contentedly  chewed  its  cud,  and  the 
boy  strained  his  ears  for  some  sign  of  its  mate,  but 
heard  no  sound  that  would  indicate  its  presence.  An 
owl  came  and  hooted  in  a  tree  near  at  hand,  and  the 
uncouth  sounds  it  made  were  very  welcome,  remind 
ing  him  that  he  was  not  alone  in  his  vigil. 

After  perhaps  two  hours  there  was  a  glimmer  of 
light  in  the  east;  birds  in  the  thickets  began  to  twitter 
and  stir;  Nature  was  awakening;  he  could  feel  her 
pulse-beats,  and  was  reassured.  But  he  redoubled 
his  watchfulness,  peering  here  and  there  as  the  dark 
ness  was  dispelled,  resolved  if  possible  to  "  get  the 
drop "  on  the  mysterious  visitor,  if  he  were  still 
about.  But  when  it  was  fairly  daylight  and  there 
was  an  open  view  all  around  him,  he  no  longer  hesi 
tated  to  arouse  his  brother,  and  with  a  slight  touch 
awoke  him.  Arthur  was  up  and  on  his  feet  in  an 
instant,  alert  and  ready,  with  his  own  rifle  firmly 
grasped,  almost  before  he  was  really  awake. 

"  What  is  it,  Hart  ? "  he  asked  sleepily.  "  What's 
the  matter  ? " 


234  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

Hartley  pointed  to  the  bullock,  now  stretching 
itself  preparatory  to  standing  erect,  then  to  the 
lariat  with  its  severed  end.  Arthur  at  once  divined 
the  trouble  and  gave  utterance  to  a  long,  low 
whistle. 

"How  long  ago,  Art?"  he  whispered,  glancing 
cautiously  about.  "  When  did  it  happen  ?  " 

Hartley  told  him,  and  added :  "  I  haven't  seen 
anything  of  '  Jos£  '  yet,  and  am  afraid  he  has  been 
taken  away.  Whoever  it  was  must  have  tried  to 
steal  both,  and  either  became  frightened  or  was  out 
witted  by  '  Joe  '  here,  who  came  and  stood  beside 
me  till  I  awoke." 

The  boys  had  given  names  to  their  bullocks, 
Arthur's  beast  having  been  called  Jose  and  Hartley's 
Joe.  Both  meant  the  same  in  English,  Jos6  —  pro 
nounced  Ho-say'  —  being  the  Spanish  for  Joseph,  and 
Joe,  of  course,  an  abbreviation  of  the  same. 

"  I  didn't  think  the  enemy  would  get  after  us  quite 
so  soon,  did  you  ?  "  Arthur  whispered  fearsomely, 
for  he  was  greatly  disturbed  by  this  event  the  first 
night  they  had  spent  in  the  open  air  alone.  It  was 
not  an  auspicious  beginning,  as  any  one  would  admit, 
and  the  brothers  were  rather  cast  down,  though  they 
had  invaded  the  region  with  a  full  understanding  of 
the  risks  attendant  upon  their  undertaking. 

"  No,  I  didn't,  that's  a  fact,"  replied  Hartley.  "It's 
mean,  too,  I  think,  not  to  let  us  get  even  a  glimpse 
of  the  gold  before  trying  to  run  us  out.  And  I'm 


What  happened  in  the  Night.          235 

determined  to  find  out  who  it  was,  if  it  takes  a  month 
to  do  it!" 

"Yes,  we  can't  stay  here  with  this  uncertainty 
hanging  over  us.  Throw  the  lariat  over  your  arm, 
Hart,  and  let's  see  if  we  can  find  any  signs  of  Jose. 
The  ground  is  soft,  and  we  ought  to  be  able  to  track 
him,  anyway." 

Acting  upon  this  suggestion,  the  boys  went  to  the 
wild  pasture  and  searched  for  signs  of  the  missing 
bullock,  Joe  following  submissively  behind.  They 
soon  found  tracks  that  led,  not  as  they  had  expected 
they  would  lead,  back  upon  the  trail  they  had  followed 
thus  far,  but  farther  yet  into  the  forest.  Beside  the 
hoof-prints  of  their  beast  they  saw  the  impressions 
of  a  naked  human  foot,  large  and  misshapen,  as 
though  belonging  to  one  who  had  gone  unshod  all 
his  life.  This  also  surprised  them,  for  they  had  ex 
pected  to  find  the  imprint  of  a  soldier's  foot,  which 
would  either  have  a  shoe  on  it  or  show  that  its  owner 
had  not  been  accustomed  to  going  barefoot. 

"  Well,"  said  Arthur,  after  they  had  tracked  the 
fugitives  for  more  than  an  hour,  "  the  hunt  will  prob 
ably  take  us  in  the  direction  we  wish  to  go,  and  I 
think  we  had  better  return,  get  some  breakfast,  and 
then  pack  all  our  stuff  on  Joe's  back  and  prepare  to 
make  a  day  of  it." 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  said  Hartley.  "  I'm  hungry 
already,  and  wherever  we  come  up  with  them  we  shall 
have  to  return  to  the  camp  for  the  luggage ;  and 


23  6  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

besides,  we  run  the  risk  of  losing  all  we  have  there 
while  we  are  away." 

Acting  upon  this  sensible  conclusion,  the  boys  re 
turned  to  camp,  finding  everything  as  they  had  left 
it,  and  after  preparing  a  pot  of  coffee  and  eating  a 
frugal  breakfast,  they  packed  all  their  belongings 
upon  the  patient  Joe  and  set  out  a  second  time  on  the 
trail  they  had  discovered.  As  Joe's  load  was  a  double 
one,  including  not  only  all  his  own  freight  but  that  of 
his  mate,  even  the  extra  aparejo,  there  was  no  thought 
of  riding  on  the  part  of  the  boys,  who  trudged  along 
ahead  leading  him  by  the  lariat. 

What  puzzled  them  from  the  very  first  was  that 
there  seemed  to  be  no  attempt  at  concealment,  for 
the  trail  was  open  and  easy  to  follow,  without  any 
detours  over  stony  ground  or  up  the  beds  of  streams, 
in  order  to  throw  any  pursuers  off  the  track.  They 
took  it  up  where  they  had  left  off  and  kept  it  all  day, 
following  at  a  brisk  walk,  with  a  short  halt  at  midday 
for  lunch.  It  led  them  directly  into  the  very  heart 
of  the  broken  cordillera  that  forms  the  backbone  of 
the  island. 

As  they  ascended,  the  scenery,  ever  beautiful,  be 
came  if  possible  more  attractive,  the  trees  grew  larger 
and  grander,  the  air  got  cooler,  and  the  streams  were 
more  numerous.  Now  they  would  ascend  the  bed  of 
some  river,  which,  when  in  flood,  could  have  swept 
them  to  destruction,  but  was  then  a  purling  stream 
flowing  over  mossy  stones  and  beneath  overhanging 


What  happened  in  the  Night.          237 

palms.  Again  their  path  took  them  up  the  steep  sides 
of  hills  clothed  with  vegetation,  but  ever  beneath 
broad-armed  trees,  such  as  silk-cottons,  rosewood,  and 
mahogany,  which  were  hung  with  lianas,  or  forest 
vines,  seemingly  miles  in  length. 

Still  ascending,  twisting,  turning,  but  ever  upward 
going,  the  trail  led  them  on,  beckoning  like  a  will- 
o'-the-wisp.  There  could  be  no  mistaking  it,  for  it 
was  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  one's  face,  to  these  young 
sters  trained  in  forest  signs.  The  longer  they 
followed  it,  however,  the  more  they  were  puzzled,  for 
they  could  not  understand  the  motive  of  any  sane 
person  in  pursuing  such  a  course.  But  the  longer 
they  followed  the  trail  the  more  determined  they 
became  to  see  its  ending  and  bring  the  author  of  it  to 
book.  He  should  repay  them  for  all  this  trouble,  if 
it  were  possible  to  make  him.  They  did  not  count 
upon  the  contingency  of  meeting  more  than  one  man, 
unless  he  should  lead  them  into  an  ambush  or  a  con 
cealed  camp,  for  there  were  imprints  of  but  one  man's 
feet.  Now  and  then  even  these  would  disappear,  as 
over  the  level  stretches  he  had  probably  mounted 
the  bullock  and  ridden  him,  although  not  at  a  rapid 
pace. 

"The  rascal  is  apparently  careful  of  Jose","  said 
Arthur,  after  carefully  examining  the  telltale  im 
prints  in  the  soft  earth  of  one  of  these  level  spaces, 
"and  I'm  grateful  to  him  for  that  much." 

"Yes,  that  may  be,"  retorted  Hartley;  "but  I'm 


238  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

not  grateful  to  him  for  this  painful  walk  we've  had 
to-day.  Methinks  I  will  take  it  out  of  his  hide  when 
we  come  up  with  him." 

"  First  catch  your  hare  before  basting  him," 
laughed  Arthur.  "  I  don't  mind  the  walk  through 
this  magnificent  forest,  in  this  cool  air,  so  long  as 
we  find  old  Jose  safe  and  sound  at  the  end  of  it." 

"  Yes,  but  suppose  we  don't,  what  then  ?  "  Hartley 
was  getting  tired  and  petulant ;  his  rifle  galled  his 
shoulder,  and  Joe  had  a  way  now  and  then  of  hang 
ing  back  and  making  it  hard  to  go  ahead. 

Arthur  came  and  tried  to  take  his  brother's  rifle, 
but  the  latter  would  not  let  him.  "  No,"  he  said,  "  I 
can  carry  it  well  enough ;  besides,  you  can't  fight 
with  two  rifles  at  the  same  time.  Let  me  alone,  I'm 
all  right" 

It  was  now  getting  dusk,  the  fire-beetles  were  fly 
ing  about,  and  the  night  birds  were  on  the  wing. 
Suddenly,  as  they  turned  a  curve  in  the  trail,  they 
saw  a  light  gleam  out,  and  as  there  were  no  houses 
in  this  wild  forest,  they  knew  this  must  have  to  do 
with  the  object  of  their  pursuit. 

"  Stay  here,  Hart,  while  I  go  ahead  to  reconnoitre," 
cautioned  Arthur,  and  his  brother  did  as  he  was  bid 
den.  Arthur  crept  ahead  in  a  crouching  position 
until  he  got  close  to  the  light,  which  was  the  flame 
of  a  camp-fire,  and  saw  something  startling. 


XXVI. 

The  Mysterious  Prisoner. 

A 5  the  flames  leaped  up  from  a  fire  of  gum  logs, 
they  threw  against  the  background  of  forest, 
behind  a  small  clearing,  the  exaggerated  proportions 
of  a  giant.  He  was,  indeed,  a  man  of  massive  build, 
in  propria  persona,  but  his  shadow,  as  projected 
against  the  illuminated  screen  of  trees  and  vines, 
gave  an  impression  of  some  being  fresh  from  Brob- 
dingnag,  it  was  so  vast. 

The  original  of  it  was  moving  about  the  fire,  piling 
on  fresh  fuel  and  sticking  around  it  a  series  of  stakes, 
each  one  with  a  huge  slice  of  meat  hanging  from  it, 
so  placed  that  the  heat  would  slowly  cook  it.  He 
was  so  busy  at  his  task  that  he  did  not  hear  the 
approach  of  the  young  American ;  and,  in  fact,  he 
might  have  been  never  so  alert,  and  he  would  not 
have  detected  his  coming,  probably,  for  Arthur  knew 
the  trained  hunter's  secret  of  stealthy  trailing.  Peer 
ing  through  the  thicket  that  separated  him  from  the 
open  space,  Arthur  watched  the  man  for  several  min 
utes,  trying  to  gather  from  his  appearance  whether 
he  were  likely  to  prove  friend  or  enemy. 

Whichever  he  were,  at  all  events  he  was  the  man 
239 


240  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

who  had  stolen  the  bullock,  for  there  was  old  Jos£ 
tied  to  a  tree  close  by,  calmly  chewing  his  cud  and 
apparently  at  peace  with  all  the  world.  He  did  not 
seem  to  have  suffered  any  from  his  long  day's  jour 
ney,  and  in  proof  that  his  captor  had  a  kindly  feeling 
toward  him  was  the  man's  treatment  of  him,  for  he 
never  passed  by  without  giving  him  a  pat  on  the 
nose  or  bestowing  an  endearing  epithet,  and  had 
already  heaped  up  some  grass  for  him  to  eat,  even 
before  his  own  supper  was  prepared. 

All  these  little  points  Arthur  took  into  considera 
tion  in  the  momentous  question  he  was  pondering 
while  crouched  there  behind  the  thicket.  He  had 
already  settled  in  his  mind  that  the  man  had  no 
companion  or  accomplice,  not  only  from  his  being 
then  alone,  but  from  his  attitude,  whether  walking 
or  standing  still,  which  was  that  of  one  who  had  long 
led  a  solitary  life. 

After  satisfying  himself  that  there  was  no  immedi 
ate  prospect  of  the  man's  leaving  the  camp  for  the 
night,  —  or  at  least,  until  after  he  had  cooked  and 
eaten  the  supper  he  was  preparing,  —  Arthur  quietly 
withdrew  from  his  post  of  observation  and  retreated 
down  the  trail.  Not  a  leaf  or  a  twig  stirred  as  he 
stealthily  crept  along ;  but  if  there  had  been  a  pro 
cession  of  people  with  him  the  noises  they  might 
have  made  would  have  been  drowned  in  the  noc 
turnal  concert  that  was  now  going  on.  There  were 
frogs  and  beetles,  "crak-craks"  and  lizards,  night 


The  Mysterious  Prisoner.  241 

birds  and  night  insects,  all  engaged  in  swelling  the 
volume  of  sound.  It  swept  through  the  forest  in 
rhythmic  cadence,  rising  and  falling  as  if  controlled 
by  some  mighty  master  of  ceremonies,  and  at  inter 
vals  ceasing  altogether  for  a  moment.  Now  and 
then,  above  the  concert,  the  young  man  thought  he 
detected  the  wail  of  the  puma  or  mountain  lion,  but 
if  so  the  animal  was  far  off  in  the  heights  above. 

He  found  Hartley  in  the  very  place  where  he  had 
left  him,  the  bullock  grazing  near,  and  soon  com 
municated  what  he  had  observed.  He  then  told  him 
what  he  thought  of  the  situation,  and  his  brother 
agreed  that  they  had  better  push  forward  together, 
one  in  advance  with  his  rifle  in  the  crook  of  his  arm, 
and  the  other  just  behind  and  ready  to  support  the 
attack,  when  it  should  open,  the  patient  Joe  bringing 
up  the  rear.  Each  insisted  upon  having  the  post  of 
honor,  and  of  possible  danger ;  but  finally  Hartley's 
argument,  that  as  Arthur  had  already  made  the 
reconnoissance  he  should  be  willing  to  give  way  in 
the  second  advance,  prevailed,  and  he  was  allowed  to 
lead.  Arthur  kept  far  enough  behind  to  prevent  Joe 
from  betraying  their  coming  by  the  noise  he  made 
brushing  against  the  bushes,  and  Hartley  was  soon 
abreast  the  camp-fire. 

The  man  was  there  still,  wholly  absorbed  in  tend 
ing  his  improvised  spits,  upon  which  the  slabs  of 
meat  were  now  sputtering  and  sizzling  above  the 
glowing  coals.  He  was  muttering  to  himself  and 


242  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

chuckling,  evidently  anticipating  the  great  feast  he 
was  going  to  have  as  soon  as  his  meat  was  cooked, 
and  apparently  wholly  unsuspicious  of  danger  lurking 
near. 

"  It's  too  bad  to  interrupt  him  now,  I  declare,"  said 
Hartley  to  himself.  "  He's  laid  out  to  have  a  jolly 
good  feed,  and  I'm  hungry  enough  to  appreciate 
those  steaks  myself,  if  they  were  mine.  I'll  go  back 
and  ask  Art  about  it."  And  back  he  went. 

"  Now,  Art,  the  old  fellow  has  just  got  his  supper 
nearly  ready,  and  he  looks  hungry.  Don't  you  think 
we'd  better  postpone  proceedings  until  after  he's  had 
his  food  ?  Then  again,  he  might  be  more  reasonable, 
you  know,  after  he's  filled  himself  up." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it,"  answered  Arthur,  hastily,  and 
rather  angrily.  "  He  may  be  hungry,  as  you  say,  but 
so  are  we ;  and  what's  more,  he  has  been  the  cause 
of  the  hardest  day's  tramp  and  the  shortest  time  for 
eating  that  we've  had  since  we  started.  I'm  hungry 
enough  at  this  blessed  minute  to  eat  everything  we've 
got  in  the  saddle-bags.  I  want  the  thing  over  with 
so  that  we  can  get  a  bite  ourselves ;  and  if  you  don't 
bring  that  old  rascal  to  book  within  fifteen  minutes, 
I'll  go  ahead  and  do  him  up  at  once." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  that's  the  way  you  feel,  of  course 
there's  only  one  thing  to  do.  But  I  guess  you're 
right,  after  all." 

Into  the  darkness  trudged  Hartley  the  second 
time,  but  Arthur  kept  close  behind  him,  not  willing 


The  Mysterious   Prisoner.  243 

to  risk  another  hitch  in  the  affair ;  so  close,  indeed, 
that  when  Joe  stepped  upon  a  dead  limb  in  the  path 
and  it  broke  with  a  sharp  crack,  their  quarry  was 
on  the  alert  in  an  instant.  Hartley  had  but  just 
reached  the  thicket  that  screened  him  from  the  fire, 
and  was  going  to  step  out  into  the  open  and  com 
mand  the  man  to  surrender,  when  the  unfortunate 
"crack"  resounded  through  the  forest.  He  saw  the 
man  spring  to  an  erect  position  and  gaze  out  into  the 
darkness,  then  give  a  mighty  leap  over  the  fire  and 
through  the  smoke,  beyond  which  he  disappeared. 

Hartley's  rifle  was  at  shoulder  and  a  sharp  report 
rang  out  ere  the  smoke  obscured  the  flying  figure. 
Ordinarily  the  bullet  would  have  gone  straight  to  its 
intended  mark,  but  this  time  it  missed,  and  instead 
went  somewhere  into  space  in  the  direction  of  the 
stars.  The  reason  was  that  Arthur  had  come  up  at 
the  instant  his  brother  had  pulled  trigger  and  struck 
the  rifle  barrel  with  his  hand. 

Hartley  turned  upon  him  with  blazing  eyes.  "  What 
did  you  do  that  for  ?  Do  you  want  that  man  to  kill 
us  both  ?  " 

"  No,  Hart,  and  he  won't,  either." 

"  But  he's  escaped,  and  we  don't  know  when  he 
may  come  back,  perhaps  with  a  whole  posse  of  com 
panions,  and  cut  our  throats  while  we  sleep.  We 
know  he's  a  thief,  and  why  not  a  murderer?" 

"  Because  he  isn't  that  kind,  Hart ;  I  studied  him 
while  he  was  working  about  the  fire,  and  he's  honest 


244  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

and  straight.  But  there's  no  time  to  lose.  Walk  out 
there  to  the  right  of  the  fire,  where  you  can  see  be 
yond  the  smoke,  and  stand  in  the  shadow,  while  I 
swing  around  to  the  left  and  come  up  on  the  enemy's 
flank.  I  don't  believe  he's  gone  far,  and  I  think  we 
can  smoke  him  out." 

Hartley  obeyed  his  brother  from  force  of  habit, 
having  been  long  ago  convinced  that  in  the  end  he 
was  generally  right ;  but  he  couldn't  help  grumbling 
to  himself  about  the  risk  they  ran. 

Arthur  crawled  through  the  bushes  fringing  the 
small  clearing,  and  after  he  had  gained  what  he 
thought  was  a  sufficient  distance  from  the  camp-fire 
circled  around  until  abreast  it  and  then  worked  back 
again.  The  forest  was  dark,  but  there  was  light 
enough  for  the  boy  to  keep  his  bearings,  and  as  he 
had  a  definite  idea  of  the  exact  spot  in  which  the 
fugitive  had  sought  to  conceal  himself,  he  went  right 
to  it.  Coming  at  last  upon  a  huge  fallen  tree,  with  a 
trunk  as  big  as  the  one  Robinson  Crusoe  hewed  out 
for  his  first  canoe,  Arthur  clambered  upon  it  and 
pointing  the  muzzle  of  his  rifle  at  the  ground  on  the 
other  side,  cried  out  in  Spanish,  "  Come  out  of  that, 
or  I  will  shoot !  " 

There  was  a  rustling  of  leaves  and  branches,  and 
forth  from  his  retreat  beneath  the  bole  of  the  fallen 
tree,  where  he  had  tried  to  burrow  like  an  armadillo, 
came  the  fugitive,  without  a  single  word.  He  stood 
up  in  the  darkness,  so  near  that  Arthur  could  have 


The   Mysterious  Prisoner.  245 

touched  him  with  the  rifle.  "  Turn  about  and  go 
back  to  the  fire,"  commanded  the  young  man,  and 
he  was  obeyed  without  hesitation. 

"  Don't  try  to  escape,"  warned  Arthur,  as  he 
climbed  down  from  the  tree  trunk,  "for  you  can't 
get  away  without  carrying  a  bullet  with  you,  and  that 
would  be  bad  for  your  health.  And  don't  think  you 
can  do  anything  with  that  machete,  for  there  are  two 
of  us  with  rifles." 

The  man  had  a  long  keen  machete  in  one  hand 
which  he  clutched  rather  menacingly,  as  he  half 
turned  to  see  what  sort  of  a  person  it  was  who  had  so 
boldly  pursued  him,  so  dexterously  ferreted  out  his 
hiding-place,  and  who  now  so  imperiously  ordered 
him  about.  But  if  he  had  any  thought  of  resisting, 
his  discretion  got  the  better  of  his  valor  and  he  went 
toward  the  camp-fire  as  directed. 

Arrived  at  the  cleared  space,  Arthur  found  that  Joe 
and  Jose"  had  come  together  and  were  seemingly 
happy  over  the  reunion,  for  they  were  contentedly 
munching  grass  from  the  same  heap,  while  Hartley 
stood  by  watching  them  eat.  The  man  halted  as  he 
came  within  the  firelight,  and  when  he  saw  the  boy 
standing  by  the  bullocks  raised  his  hand  to  his  head 
and  gave  a  respectful  salute,  His  salutation  was 
more,  in  fact,  than  a  mere  gesture,  for  it  implied 
extreme  deference.  Then  he  turned  to  look  at  his 
conqueror,  Arthur,  and  casting  aside  his  machete  he 
threw  himself  at  his  feet.  There  was  something  very 


246  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

mysterious  in  his  actions,  but  all  was  explained  later 
on,  when  the  three  became  better  acquainted. 

"Oh,  say,  don't  do  that,"  cried  Arthur.  "You 
don't  owe  me  anything.  Go  ahead  and  get  your  sup 
per.  The  meat  is  burning,  don't  you  see  ? " 

The  man  gathered  himself  together,  went  to  the 
fire,  and  was  at  once  busy  with  the  preparation  of  the 
evening  meal,  seemingly  as  unconcerned  as  though 
nothing  had  happened  to  interrupt  his  work. 

While  the  young  men  sat  on  a  log  watching  his 
actions  with  great  interest,  their  rifles  leaning  against 
a  near  tree,  he  scraped  the  coals  together,  placed  upon 
them  some  tortillas  —  or  Indian  corn  cakes  —  which 
he  drew  forth  from  a  native  basket  hanging  on  a 
limb,  then  gathered  some  palm  leaves,  and  spread 
them  on  the  ground.  The  palm  leaves  were  to  serve 
as  table  and  plates  combined,  for  upon  them  the  man 
first  piled  the  meat,  then  the  tortillas,  and  having 
done  this  invited  his  guests  to  partake  of  the  repast 
he  had  prepared. 

"  Seftores,"  he  said,  "  this  is  all  I  have  to  offer,  but 
you  are  welcome.  Though  I  expected  you,  yet  I 
could  not  find  that  which  I  would  have  liked  to 
spread  before  you.  Eat,  sefiores,  and  fill  the  heart 
of  your  servant  with  joy." 

The  man  was  evidently  sincere,  but  the  whole 
affair  seemed  so  unreal  that  both  Arthur  and  Hartley 
hesitated  to  accept  the  invitation.  They  also  felt 
that  they  had  no  right  to  the  man's  supper,  which  he 


The   Mysterious  Prisoner.  247 

had  so  carefully  cooked  for  himself,  and  so  Arthur 
said  to  him  :  - 

"  No,  no,  we  cannot  do  this.  That  is  your  supper, 
this  is  your  fire,  the  camp  is  yours.  You  yourself 
eat  what  you  have  provided,  and  we  will  find  some 
thing  in  our  saddle-bags." 

The  man  was  quite  evidently  cast  down  by  their 
refusal,  and  he  positively  refused  to  partake  until 
after  they  had  satisfied  their  hunger ;  so  they  made 
the  best  of  the  situation  and  fell  to  upon  the  meat 
and  tortillas.  Having  fasted  for  many  hours,  the 
food  tasted  very  good,  and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of 
thankfulness  that  they  turned  to  their  host  and 
insisted  that  he  should  join  them.  This,  however,  he 
would  not  do,  declaring  that  he  was  there  for  the 
express  purpose  of  waiting  upon  his  masters  —  as  he 
insisted  upon  calling  them  —  whose  every  wish  it  was 
his  pleasure  to  gratify. 

"  Seems  like  heaping  coals  of  fire  on  our  heads, 
doesn't  it,  Art  ?  " 

"  It  has  somewhat  that  appearance,"  replied 
Arthur  to  his  brother's  question.  "  But  he  has  yet 
the  bullock  to  account  for.  I  wonder  how  he  will 
explain  the  theft  of  our  Jos£  ?  " 


XXVII. 

An  Angel  Unawares. 

IT  must  be  admitted  that  there  was  a  feeling  of 
constraint  pervading  this  little  party  in  the 
mountain  wilds  of  Santo  Domingo,  for  on  the  one 
hand  there  was  the  man  who  was  for  the  time  being 
deprived  of  his  liberty,  and  on  the  other  the  two 
young  men  whom  he  had  deprived  temporarily  of 
their  bullock.  It  was  apparent  to  all  concerned  that 
explanations  ought  to  be  in  order  before  much  fur 
ther  time  elapsed,  and  it  was  perhaps  in  consequence 
of  this  feeling,  that  after  all  had  eaten  supper  they 
gathered  near  the  fire  and  began  a  desultory  conver 
sation. 

Arthur  started  it  by  saying  to  the  man:  "What 
did  you  mean  by  saying  that  you  expected  us  ?  Did 
you  ever  see  either  of  us  before  ?  " 

"  No,  senor ;  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  a  dream." 

"  Ah,  that  was  it !  And  so  you  dreamt  that  we 
were  coming  to  visit  you  ?  As  you  stole  our  bullock, 
you  must  have  known  that  we  would  be  sure  to  follow 
after  it." 

"  But,  senor,  I  did  not  know  it  was  your  bullock. 
I  found  it  grazing  in  the  wild  pasture  and  took  it, 
that  was  all." 

248 


An  Angel   Unawares.  249 

"  Yes,  but  it  was  fastened  to  a  stake.  You  must 
have  known  that  it  belonged  to  somebody.  And 
there  was  the  other  one  too,  the  lariat  attached  to 
which  you  cut,  but  let  him  loose." 

"All  you  say  is  true,  my  master;  but  there  is 
something  you  do  not  understand,  and  that  is  I  did 
not  know  of  your  presence  near  the  bullock  last 
night.  I  had  a  dream,  as  I  said.  In  the  dream  I 
was  informed  that  down  in  the  pasture  near  the  pine 
woods  I  could  find  a  bullock  which  would  be  mine 
for  the  going  after  it.  Now,  senores,  I  have  lived  in 
these  mountains  many  years  all  alone,  without  any 
companion  whatever,  and  I  yearned  for  one ;  so  when 
I  was  told  in  a  dream  that  a  bullock  awaited  me  to 
be  had  for  the  getting,  I  lost  no  time  but  went  after 
it.  I  found  it  in  the  place  where  the  dream  told  me 
it  would  be,  and  that  was  enough.  I  did  not  ques 
tion  my  right  to  take  it ;  but  finding  there  two 
bullocks  instead  of  one,  and  having  been  told  nothing 
of  the  other,  I  cut  loose  the  second  one  and  came 
away,  even  as  you  know." 

The  man  had  no  other  explanation  to  offer  and 
the  boys  were  obliged  to  accept  this,  for  when  ques 
tioned  more  closely  he  merely  went  over  the  same 
ground  again,  running  around  in  a  circle,  beginning 
and  ending  with  the  story  of  the  dream. 

"  But  you  have  not  explained  why  you  expected 
us,"  said  Hartley. 

"  Oh,  that  was  in  the  dream,  too ;  that  two  white 


250  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

men,  strangers  to  this  island,  should  come  up  into  the 
mountains  and  be  my  guests.  And  I  was  com 
manded  to  prepare  a  feast  for  them  every  night,  of 
the  best  I  had ;  hence,  as  you  saw,  I  broiled  meat 
sufficient  for  more  than  one  —  myself.  I  cannot  tell 
you,  senores,  how  the  dream  came  to  me,  nor  why ; 
but  it  came,  and  all  has  fallen  out  as  was  predicted, 
so  I  am  not  surprised  that  you  should  be  here,  nor 
that  I  am  to  serve  you." 

"  He  seems  honest,"  said  Arthur,  in  an  aside  to  his 
brother,  speaking  in  English,  "  and  I  think  we  can 
trust  him ;  though  his  story  does  sound  rather  im 
probable." 

"  Very  improbable,"  assented  Arthur ;  "  but  I  am 
sure  we  can  trust  him.  But  who  is  he,  I  wonder  ? 
He  looks  like  an  Indian,  and  also  something  like  the 
Moors  we  saw  in  Algiers." 

"  There  is  only  one  way  of  finding  out,"  answered 
Hartley. 

"  Of  course,"  rejoined  Arthur,  who  then  asked  the 
man  his  nationality. 

"I  have  none,"  he  replied  gloomily.  "I  am  a 
wanderer,  and  far  from  the  land  that  gave  me  birth." 

"  But  have  you  not  been  in  other  parts  of  the 
island?  Were  you  ever  in  the  capital?"  asked 
Arthur. 

"  Yes,  my  master,  I  have  been  in  the  capital." 

"  And  have  you  ever  seen  the  President  ?  " 

"Yes,  masters,  I  have  seen  the  President."     The 


An  Angel  Unawares.  251 

man's  face  hardened  and  a  gleam  of  hatred  flashed 
from  his  eyes.  "  When  you,  my  masters,  made  your 
appearance  so  suddenly  awhile  ago,  I  thought  it  was 
somebody  sent  by  the  President  and  knew  that  my 
only  safety  lay  in  flight.  That  is  why  I  ran  and  hid 
myself.  But,  thank  God,  my  masters,  you  found 
me.  You  will  not  take  me  back  to  Lelee  ?  No,  I 
see  in  your  eyes  that  you  will  not  betray  me." 

"  Not  we,"  Arthur  assured  him,  with  a  bitter 
laugh. 

"No,  indeed,"  added  Hartley.  "We  have  our 
own  grievances  against  Lelee.  Instead  of  assisting 
him  to  find  you,  we  would  do  all  in  our  power  to 
help  you  escape  him.  In  fact,  we  ourselves  are  try 
ing  to  hide  from  him  now." 

"Oh,  my  masters,  then  the  good  God  in  heaven 
must  have  sent  you  to  me.  I  see  now  why  I  had 
the  dream,  why  I  took  your  bullock,  why  you  fol 
lowed  me  and  found  me,  for  I  know  the  place  where 
you  can  hide,  that  not  even  Lelee  can  find  you,  even 
though  this  island  he  calls  his  own.  It  is  my  own 
place,  masters,  and  is  only  a  day's  journey  from  here. 
To-morrow  night,  and  we  can  be  there.  Will  you 
go  with  me  ?  " 

The  boys  hesitated  before  answering,  each  having 
in  mind  the  real  object  of  this  journey,  which  was 
not  so  much  to  hide  from  the  President,  as  to  secure 
the  gold  they  were  after  without  being  detected  by 
his  emissaries  and  carried  back  to  prison  at  the 


252  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

capital.  But  they  could  probably  go  with  the  man 
and  stay  awhile  in  his  retreat,  even  if  the  trip  there 
caused  a  little  delay ;  so  they  finally  assented  to  his 
proposition,  greatly  to  his  joy. 

"Ah,  my  masters,  you  will  do  me  honor  to  go 
with  me.  For  more  than  two  years  I  have  lived 
there  alone,  in  that  little  valley  in  the  mountains. 
But  it  is  a  most  beautiful  valley,  my  masters,  fit  for 
an  earthly  paradise,  and  it  is  well  that  you  should  go 
and  dwell  therein,  for  it  was  wasted  on  a  solitary  man 
like  me.  Ah,  now  I  am  happy  to  think  that  at  last  I 
shall  have  white  men  as  guests,  and  can  serve  them 
and  show  them  the  beauties  of  my  valley." 

And  this  is  how  the  mystery  was  solved  —  which 
was  not  so  much  of  a  mystery,  after  all  —  and  how 
our  friends  came  to  dwell  in  a  valley  so  beautiful 
that  they  afterward  felt  nothing  but  pain  at  the 
thought  of  leaving  it,  when  by  long  acquaintance 
they  had  grown  to  be  in  love  with  its  charms.  That 
night  they  slept  on  the  ground  under  the  trees,  each 
member  of  the  little  party  feeling  trustful  and  secure. 
At  daylight  next  morning  the  man  was  up  and  get 
ting  fodder  for  the  bullocks.  An  hour  later  he  had 
breakfast  ready  for  all,  and  before  the  sun  had  risen 
above  the  tree-tops  the  party  had  set  out  on  the 
journey  still  farther  into  the  mountains. 

All  day  they  travelled,  with  a  brief  halt  at  noon 
by  the  side  of  a  sparkling  spring  that  welled  out 
from  beneath  the  roots  of  an  immense  forest  tree. 


An  Angel  Unawares.  253 

They  steadily  climbed,  higher  and  higher,  until  they 
left  behind  them  all  trace  of  tropical  vegetation,  and 
had  penetrated  the  belt  or  zone  that  answers  to  the 
temperate  region,  where  altitude  performed  the  ser 
vices  of  latitude,  —  that  is,  the  greater  height  above 
the  sea  and  cooler  atmosphere  made  a  correspond 
ing  change  in  the  botanical  productions.  They  had 
now,  in  the  course  of  their  desultory  journey  from 
the  coast,  traversed  two  zones  of  climate  and  vegeta 
tion.  First,  at  the  level  of  the  sea,  they  had  passed 
through  the  hot  zone,  what  the  Spaniards  called  the 
tierra  caliente,  where  cocoa  palms  flourished  and 
bananas  and  plantains  grew  wherever  the  soil  was 
moist,  and  on  the  plains  the  various  forms  of  cactus 
were  numerous.  Now  they  had  left  behind  them  the 
heated  coast  climate,  and  were  in  the  cool  atmosphere 
of  a  region  where  the  temperature  was  more  like 
that  of  the  northern  United  States  in  summer. 

Oh,  it  was  glorious,  up  there  in  the  "  high  woods," 
as  the  natives  call  the  upper  forests  above  the  zone 
of  heat,  for  vast  and  broad-armed  forest  giants 
spread  their  limbs  above  them  so  far  aloft  that  their 
tops  were  hidden  from  view.  Their  trunks  were 
fluted  and  buttressed,  like  the  walls  of  old  cathedrals, 
and  from  their  branches  hung  thousands  of  lianas, 
or  ropelike  vines,  which  held  the  great  trees  to  the 
ground,  as  the  rigging  of  a  ship  holds  the  masts  to 
the  bulwarks.  And  these  lianas,  again,  were  hung 
with  thousands  of  epiphytes  and  parasitic  plants,  the 


254  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

one  class  feeding  on  the  air,  the  other  sucking  out 
the  juices  of  the  vines  and  trees  upon  which  they 
were  affixed. 

Some  of  these  were  true  orchids,  with  at  least  one 
species  worth  more  than  its  weight  in  gold,  and 
which,  were  its  haunts  known  to  collectors,  would  be 
hunted  for  eagerly  and  held  to  be  cheap  at  any  price 
or  risk  to  life  and  limb,  for  the  purpose  of  adorning 
the  conservatories  of  wealthy  collectors.  They  sent 
out  spikes  and  sprays  of  gorgeous  blossoms,  some  of 
the  individual  flowers  shaped  like  butterflies,  others 
like  humming-birds  around  which  darted  and  hovered 
the  very  birds  of  which  they  were  such  cunning 
counterfeits.  Then  there  were  great  wild  pines,  with 
lush  leaves  of  vivid  green,  in  the  hollows  of  which  was 
secreted  pure  water.  They  only  had  to  be  tapped, 
by  thrusting  through  the  bases  of  the  leaves  a  knife 
or  cutlass,  to  pour  forth  their  limpid  treasure  for  the 
refreshing  of  the  thirsty  traveller. 

Around  the  trunks  of  some  of  the  slenderer  trees 
were  wrapped  the  "  wild  figs,"  which  enclosed  them 
in  a  meshwork  of  wood  or  bark  through  which  the 
living  support  could  be  seen  at  intervals,  and  in  many 
cases  were  slowly  strangling  out  their  lives. 

One  of  the  trees  which  the  boys  saw  thus  enclosed 
in  the  ligneous  clutch  of  the  parasitic  fig  was  a 
beautiful  palm,  its  trunk  showing  through  the  inter 
stices  of  the  strangler  and  its  coronet  of  leafy  plumes 
towering  above  it.  A  short  time  only  would  elapse 


An  Angel  Unawares.  255 

before  the  palm  would  have  to  succumb  to  the  suf 
focating  pressure  of  the  enclosing  parasite,  its  sap 
drawn  out  by  the  octopus-like  tentacles,  and  be 
obliged  to  yield  its  very  life  to  the  wild  fig's 
demands. 

Not  many  birds  enlivened  the  twilight  gloom 
beneath  the  great  trees,  for  birds  prefer  open  spaces 
where  they  can  disport  in  the  sunshine ;  but  myriads 
of  humming-birds  darted  hither  and  thither,  like  coals 
or  gleaming  jewels,  and  in  the  tree-tops,  far  up  out  of 
sight,  flocks  of  parrots  chattered  noisily. 

The  path  became  more  and  more  obscure,  and 
along  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  the  trav 
ellers  had  reached  a  knife-like  ridge  of  the  mountain, 
where  the  trees  were  more  sparsely  distributed,  the 
trail  seemed  altogether  lost.  Then  the  guide,  who 
had  walked  ahead  with  his  cutlass  in  the  hollow  of 
his  right  arm,  now  and  then  using  it  to  clear  away 
the  overhanging  bushes  and  vines  which  obstructed 
progress,  fell  back,  and  leading  one  of  the  bullocks 
by  the  line  attached  to  its  nose,  drew  it  aside, 
beckoning  the  boys  to  follow  with  the  other  animal 
and  to  tread  cautiously,  breaking  as  few  plants  as 
possible. 

"  We  must  conceal  our  trail,  so  that  no  enemy  may 
follow  us,"  he  explained.  "  This  is  the  summit  of 
the  cordilleras,  where  few  other  men  have  ever 
passed.  We  are  nearing  the  entrance  to  my  retreat. 
Do  not  be  afraid,  but  follow  after  carefully." 


256  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

They  climbed  the  ridge  where  it  was  as  steep  as 
the  roof  of  an  ordinary  house  and  finally  stood,  pant 
ing  and  almost  breathless,  upon  the  ridgepole,  which 
the  guide  aptly  termed  the  capstone  of  the  pyramid. 
From  the  point  where  they  stood  the  mountains  swept 
away  in  every  direction,  miles  upon  miles  of  billowy 
slopes  and  emerald  peaks,  until  the  sea  on  either  side 
bounded  their  vision. 

"  Grand,  beautiful,  glorious ! "  were  the  exclama 
tions  that  burst  from  the  delighted  travellers,  gazing 
upon  this  magnificent  view,  entranced,  unmindful  of 
the  perils  that  beset  them. 


XXVIII. 

The    Vale  of  Paradise. 

THE  ridge  upon  which  they  stood  was  so  sharply 
cut  that  a  misstep  would  have  plunged  the 
travellers  far  below  into  abysmal  depths,  and  the 
poor  bullocks,  unaware  of  their  masters'  precautions 
against  accidents,  moaned  apprehensively,  bunching 
their  feet  together  and  arching  their  backs,  like  a  cat 
in  a  passion.  But  they  followed  obediently  after  the 
guide,  who  led  the  way  for  a  hundred  yards  along 
the  crest  of  the  ridge,  then  turned  sharply  to  the 
right,  as  they  came  abreast  a  huge  rock  from  which 
the  floods  of  many  a  hurricane  season  had  washed 
the  supporting  soil  almost  entirely  away,  leaving  it 
so  delicately  poised  that  it  seemed  a  slight  push 
would  have  sent  it  crashing  into  the  valley  outspread 
beneath. 

Stumbling  through  the  loose  gravel  at  an  incline 
so  steep  that  some  of  the  bullocks'  cargo  fell  over 
their  heads  and  went  tumbling  over  the  edge  of  the 
precipice  along  the  verge  of  which  they  were  crawl 
ing,  after  a  few  minutes,  which  seemed  to  the  boys 
almost  an  eternity  of  suspense,  they  reached  a  shelter 
of  scant  shrubbery  on  the  northern  side  of  the 

257 


258  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

ridge.  The  vegetation  here  was  hardly  more  than 
lycopodiums  and  sub-Alpine  plants  that  grow  in  the 
tropics  only  at  high  altitudes,  but  it  afforded  a  foot 
hold  for  the  frightened  animals,  and  a  bed  upon  which 
the  boys  cast  themselves,  exhausted,  as  soon  as  their 
guide  had  motioned  them  to  halt. 

"  That  was  a  hard  scramble,  eh,  my  masters  ?  But 
the  worst  is  over.  Right  below  us  lies  the  portal  to 
my  paradise.  You  cannot  see  it,  for  it  is  hidden  in 
the  sea  of  verdure  that  covers  all  below  like  an  emer 
ald  plain.  But  it  is  there,  and  if  you  will  wait  here 
while  I  go  back  to  conceal  all  traces  of  our  passing, 
so  that  none  may  follow  here,  I  will  soon  return  and 
lead  you  to  it." 

So  saying,  the  guide  went  back  to  the  ridge,  where 
he  carefully  covered  the  tracks  made  by  the  men  and 
bullocks,  rearranged  the  disturbed  vegetation  so  that 
no  one  would  have  suspected  any  had  ever  passed 
that  way,  then  returned,  as  he  had  promised. 

"  See,  my  masters,  is  not  that  a  glorious  view  ? 
Almost  half  the  island  seems  to  be  outspread  before 
us  here.  It  looks  to  you  a  wilderness  of  forest  and 
high  peaks,  does  it  not  ?  Do  you  note  those  bare 
rocks  outcropping  here  and  there,  arranged  in  a  circle 
like  the  brim  of  a  huge  bowl  ?  Yes  ?  Those  are  the 
peaks  that  guard  the  happy  valley,  an  immense  basin 
several  miles  across,  filled  with  trees  so  densely  that 
no  one  but  myself  and  some  friends  have  ever  sus 
pected  its  existence,  —  at  least,  not  recently  I  am 


The  Vale  of  Paradise.  259 

sure.  Now  come,  as  you  are  rested  ;  we  will  seek  the 
entrance  to  the  valley.  It  is  within  short  gunshot, 
and  yet  you  could  not  find  it  if  I  were  to  leave  you 
here  this  moment." 

The  guide  took  Joe  by  the  nose,  Jose  keeping  close 
behind  the  two,  and  the  boys  bringing  up  the  rear. 
Sliding  over  the  slippery  lycopodiums,  like  boys 
coasting  over  the  frozen  surface  of  a  snow-field,  men 
and  beasts  went  downward  at  a  rapid  gait,  the  latter 
hah0  of  the  time  on  their  haunches  and  uttering  many 
a  grunt  of  expostulation,  when  suddenly  their  sup 
ports  gave  way  under  them,  and  they  plunged  through 
matted  vines,  from  daylight  into  darkness. 

The  transition  was  so  sudden,  from  the  glare  of  the 
sun  outside  to  the  gloom  of  the  place  into  which  they 
had  fallen,  that  for  a  while  they  lay  bewildered,  both 
boys  and  beasts.  The  elastic  vines  had  sprung  back 
again  to  their  customary  places,  and  hardly  a  ray  of 
light  penetrated  through  them,  so  that  it  was  a  long 
time  before  the  boys  discovered  that  they  had  fallen 
into  a  cavern,  the  roof  of  which  was  hung  with  sta 
lactites  which  gleamed  all  around  and  above  them, 
excepting  for  the  rift  in  the  rock  through  which  they 
had  descended. 

Fortunately,  but  probably  with  intention,  the  guide 
had  kept  the  bullocks  well  ahead  of  them ;  otherwise 
there  might  have  been  an  accident  to  chronicle.  It 
was  also  fortunate  that  they  had  descended  upon  a 
bed  of  soft  sand,  and  that  the  trailing  vines  had  been 


260  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

strong  enough  and  elastic  enough  to  support  them 
until  they  were  almost  down,  so  that  neither  human 
being  nor  dumb  animal  had  been  injured.  The  guide 
was  engaged  for  a  few  minutes  in  helping  the  bullocks 
to  their  feet  and  rearranging  their  loads,  which  had 
been  severely  shaken  up  by  the  fall,  then  he  left  them 
safe  and  sound  and  came  to  see  the  boys. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  my  trap-door,  my 
masters  ?  Is  it  not  safely  concealed,  think  you,  so 
that  no  one  can  find  it  ? " 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  Hartley,  "  do  you  mean  to 
say  that  fall  was  prearranged  ?  We  thought  it  must 
have  been  an  accident." 

The  queer  man  laughed  as  he  replied  :  "  Not  so, 
my  master.  That  is  the  only  entrance  to  my  valley. 
That  is  the  portal  of  which  I  spoke.  But  I  knew  it 
well  enough  to  feel  assured  that  you  would  not  be 
hurt,  or  I  should  not  have  led  you  hither." 

"But  the  bullocks,  they  can  never  be  gotten  out 
again." 

"  No,  senor,  that  is  true,  I  fear.  Once  in,  forever 
to  stay,  so  far  as  they  are  concerned.  But  that  is 
nothing;  you  will  not  want  to  get  them  out.  We 
will  keep  them  to  plough  with,  to  haul  the  timber  for 
the  houses  we  shall  build,  to  carry  the  fruits  of  the 
earth." 

Arthur  had  said  nothing,  being  engaged  in  study 
ing  the  features  of  the  guide  as  he  replied  to  his 
brother's  questions,  The  sudden  turn  of  affairs  had 


The  Vale  of  Paradise.  261 

raised  a  momentary  doubt  in  his  mind  as  to  the  integ 
rity  of  the  man's  intentions  regarding  them.  Per 
haps,  after  all,  he  had  been  mistaken,  and  the  guide 
had  some  sinister  motive  in  thus  bringing  them  into 
a  place  from  which  there  was  apparently  no  escape. 
He  did  not  like  to  entertain  such  doubts,  not  only 
because  they  reflected  upon  his  judgment,  but  be 
cause  by  insisting  upon  having  his  own  way,  and 
sparing  the  man's  life,  his  brother's  life  and  his  own 
might  be  imperilled.  Still,  he  could  not  bring  him 
self  to  doubt,  notwithstanding  the  suspicious  aspect 
of  things,  and  he  concluded  to  hold  his  judgment  in 
suspense,  but  at  the  same  time  to  be  constantly  on 
guard.  There  was  not  light  enough,  at  first,  to  de 
tect  anything  sinister  in  the  guide's  countenance,  even 
if  his  feelings  had  shown  through  his  impassive  fea 
tures.  As  the  inmates  of  the  cavern  became  accus 
tomed  to  the  gloom,  they  saw  that  the  room  in  which 
they  were  was  of  vast  dimensions,  apparently,  the 
roof  being  low  but  broad,  while  the  cavern  extended 
far  beneath  the  mountain.  How  far  they  knew  not, 
and  when  they  asked  the  guide,  he  shrugged  his 
shoulders  and  said  he  did  not  know,  himself. 

"  But,  my  masters,"  he  added,  "  it  is  not  now  so 
far  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  if  you  are  suffi 
ciently  refreshed  we  will  hasten  into  outer  air." 

They  signified  their  desire  to  proceed,  and  so  he 
drove  the  bullocks  forward,  despite  their  unwillingness 
to  move  in  the  dim  light,  and  it  was  not  long  before 


262  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

they  were  gladdened  by  a  ray  of  sunshine  penetrat 
ing  the  gloom.  Hastening  forward,  they  soon  found 
the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  saw  that  it  opened  out 
toward  the  west,  so  that  the  sun  in  its  descent  into 
the  waves  sent  its  rays  quite  into  it.  The  cave's 
mouth  opened  into  a  ravine,  in  the  bed  of  which  far 
down  beneath  them  ran  a  noisy  stream.  They  clam 
bered  down  with  some  difficulty,  then  crossed  the 
ravine  and  scaled  its  northern  bank,  coming  out  at 
last  beneath  a  giant  silk-cotton  tree  which  threw  its 
branches  out  over  the  rocks. 

Looking  up,  they  could  see  sheer  walls  of  rock  on 
every  side,  which  rose  far  above  them  toward  the 
clouds,  while  from  the  precipices  all  around  came  the 
low  crooning  of  turtle  doves,  making  such  a  volume 
of  sound  that  the  boys  concluded  there  must  be 
millions  of  them  living  there.  A  great  eagle  circled 
in  the  sky  overhead,  his  wings  gilded  by  the  last 
gleams  of  the  setting  sun,  while  flocks  of  parrots 
were  winging  their  way  homeward  from  feeding 
grounds  to  roosting  places,  talking  to  each  other 
sleepily  as  they  flew.  The  forest  all  about  was  in 
deed  animate  with  innocent  creatures  that  had  never 
heard  the  sound  of  a  gun,  that  had  never  suffered 
at  the  hand  of  man,  and  were  living  in  a  state  that 
must  have  prevailed  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  when 
our  first  ancestors  were  in  accord  with  all  created 
beings. 

Surely  the  vale  was  the  abode  of  peace,  if  not  of 


The  Vale  of  Paradise.  263 

happiness,  and  the  young  men  walked  on  in  the 
gathering  gloom  pervaded  by  a  blessed  sense  of 
security,  instead  of  the  haunting  fear  which  had  held 
possession  of  them  for  so  many  months. 

"  There  is  something  in  the  very  air  that  breathes 
of  peace,"  said  Hartley  to  his  brother.  "  Listen  to 
the  cooing  of  the  doves  and  the  far-off  song  of  the 
mocking-bird.  Isn't  it  sweet  ? " 

"Yes,  almost  too  sweet  to  last,"  replied  Arthur. 
"  It  is  so  restful,  too,  after  the  constant  turmoil  of 
our  experience  on  the  island.  It  seems  to  me,  I 
could  live  here  forever  and  not  wish  to  go  away." 

"  My  sentiments,  too  ;  but  forever  is  a  long  time. 
Say  we  make  it  a  month,  and  see  how  things  '  pan 
out '  by  that  time.  Perhaps  our  friend  may  not  be 
so  subservient  at  the  end  of  a  short  stay  as  he  is 
now.  He  couldn't  do  better  by  us  now  than  if  we 
had  been  his  long-lost  brothers,  could  he  ? " 

"  Not  a  bit,"  answered  Arthur.  "  But  still,  he  may 
have  something  in  reserve,  you  know.  I  don't  be 
lieve  he  has,  though,  for  I'm  inclined  to  judge  him 
by  my  first  impression." 

"  Oh,  your  first  impression  may  have  been  all  right. 
It  saved  me  from  committing  murder,  anyway,  when 
it  moved  you  to  knock  my  rifle  barrel  up,  and  I'm 
grateful  for  that,  let  me  tell  you." 

The  guide  came  nearer  to  them  when  the  conver 
sation  had  reached  this  stage,  and  they  could  not  say 
anything  more  about  the  things  in  which  he  was 


264  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

concerned ;  so  they  took  to  asking  him  questions. 
How  did  he  find  the  valley  ?  How  long  had  he 
lived  here  ?  Did  he  expect  to  live  here  all  his  days  ? 
And  were  there  no  other  human  beings  in  the  valley 
but  themselves  ? 

In  answer  to  the  first  question  he  said  that  he  had 
found  the  valley  by  accident,  when  pursued  by  some 
of  Lelee's  soldiers,  who  had  chased  him  to  the  moun 
tain  ridge,  but  whom  he  had  evaded  by  slipping  over 
and  rolling  down  the  matted  bed  of  vines,  ending  by 
falling  through  into  the  cavern,  as  they  themselves 
had  that  very  day. 

But  suppose  the  soldiers  had  followed  closely  after, 
and  had  also  rolled  down  the  steep  ?  Was  there  not 
danger  that  such  a  contingency  might  happen  ?  Yes, 
the  man  admitted  there  was ;  but  he  had  provided 
against  it.  Had  they  not  seen  him  go  back,  after 
all  were  out  of  the  cavern,  and  did  they  not  recall 
that  he  remained  there  quite  a  while  ?  Yes,  they 
recalled  that,  but  what  of  it  ? 

"  Why,"  rejoined  the  guide,  with  a  strange  gleam  in 
his  eyes,  "  I  went  back  to  set  a  trap  for  any  of  our  foes 
who  might  happen  to  find  the  trail  and  come  over  the 
ridge.  There  is  only  one  path  by  which  they  can 
descend,  and  that  leads  right  into  the  cave.  If  they 
should  fall  there  now,  they  would  not  find  a  soft  bed 
of  sand  to  receive  them,  but  a  row  of  pointed  stakes, 
which  would  pierce  them  through  and  through ;  and 
if  they  escape  the  stakes  in  the  cave's  mouth,  why,  I 


The  Vale  of  Paradise.  265 

have  set  a  dead-fall  made  out  of  a  great  log,  which 
will  drop  and  pin  them  to  the  ground,  should  they 
try  to  emerge." 

The  boys  shuddered  at  this  cold-blooded  prepara 
tion  for  the  possible  coming  of  the  foe,  but  they 
praised  the  man  for  his  ingenuity,  though  they  might 
not  approve  of  the  whole  proceeding. 

Night  had  now  fallen  about  them,  but  the  fire 
beetles  were  so  numerous  that  they  hardly  missed 
the  light  of  day.  They  emerged  from  the  dense 
forest  and  crossed  a  lovely  glade,  where  whispering 
palms  embossed  a  sea  of  verdure,  and  on  the  farther 
boundary,  where  silk  cottons,  mangos,  and  star  ap 
ples  formed  a  screen  from  heat  and  hurricane,  the 
guide  halted  before  a  thatched  hut  of  large  dimen 
sions.  It  was  a  wattled  hut  of  palm  leaves,  roof  and 
sides  new  and  clean,  sweet  smelling,  fragrant  with  the 
breath  of  the  forest  still  enmeshed  within  the  thatch. 
It  had  apparently  never  been  occupied,  but  was  ready 
for  occupancy,  with  beds  of  palm  leaves  spread  on 
the  floor  of  pounded  earth,  and  two  grass  hammocks 
hung  from  the  rafters. 

The  boys  looked  at  the  guide  in  wonderment,  but 
he  merely  said,  "  This  house  is  yours,  senores." 


XXIX. 

Contentment  without   Wealth. 

A  STREAM  flowed  before  the  hut,  a  stream 
running  over  white  and  glistening  pebbles, 
overhung  with  bamboos  in  feathery  clusters  and  wild 
plantains  that  met  across  and  interlaced  their  leaves. 
The  water  was  clear  as  crystal,  flowing  from  a  spring 
in  the  forest.  A  little  way  beyond  the  hut  it  ran  into 
another  larger  stream,  and  together  they  plunged  over 
a  precipice  and  were  lost  in  a  deep  ravine  far  below. 
All  around  the  hut  grew  various  fruit  trees,  such 
as  mangos,  custard  apples,  sapadillas,  alligator  pears, 
limes,  oranges,  lemons,  —  in  fact  almost  all  the  fruits 
that  flourish  in  the  tropics.  These,  with  the  pine 
apples,  maniocs,  maize,  arrow  root,  sugar  cane,  groves 
of  coffee  and  allspice,  nutmegs  and  acacia,  the  yams, 
sweet  potatoes,  tanias,  and  other  tubers,  gave  to  the 
owner  of  this  property  all  he  needed  for  his  support 
in  the  way  of  food  and  condiments. 

When  he  wanted  a  new  dish  of  any  sort,  a  bowl 
or  spoon,  he  merely  went  out  and  twisted  a  calabash 
off  one  of  the  trees  growing  by  the  river  bank,  cut  it 
in  the  needed  shape,  and  left  it  to  dry  until  his  meal 
was  ready.  And  so  it  was  with  the  hut  itself.  The 
material  for  roof  and  rafters,  thatch  and  wattles,  he 

266 


Contentment  without  Wealth.  267 

had  found  in  the  palms  that  grew  by  thousands  all 
about.  No  nails  were  necessary  to  put  the  hut  to 
gether,  only  tough  withes  and  the  skill  that  came 
from  experience.  So  there  he  was,  —  the  master  of 
this  happy  valley,  supplied  by  nature  with  everything 
essential,  with  luxuries  as  well,  without  being  obliged 
to  expend  a  dollar  for  the  purchase  of  a  single  article 
from  year's  end  to  year's  end.  Indeed,  as  he  told 
the  boys,  he  had  not  seen  a  dollar,  not  even  the 
smallest  piece  of  silver,  since  he  was  so  fortunate  as 
to  discover  this  retreat. 

All  this  was  not  discovered  by  the  boys  that  first 
night  of  their  arrival,  but  during  ensuing  days  and 
weeks  of  exploration,  when  they  wandered  about, 
sometimes  with  and  at  others  without  their  friend, 
within  the  confines  of  this  vale  of  paradise. 

There  was  but  one  thing  that  troubled  them,  and 
this  ceased  to  give  them  uneasiness  after  they  found 
out  what  a  fair  and  desirable  land  it  was.  There  was 
no  outlet  by  which  they  could  escape  to  the  world 
beyond.  On  the  south  was  the  inaccessible  mountain 
ridge ;  on  the  east,  west,  and  north,  precipitous  walls, 
over  which  many  rivers  plunged  and  were  lost  to 
view  in  the  abysses  below,  but  affording  no  means  of 
exit  for  the  prisoners.  Of  course  there  was  the  nar 
row  trail  by  which  they  had  descended  to  the  valley; 
but  that  was  blocked,  they  were  told,  in  such  a  way 
that  they  could  not  attempt  it  without  danger  to  their 
lives. 


268  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

The  man  made  it  evident  to  them  that  he  intended 
to  be  their  devoted  servant,  from  the  very  first  night 
when  they  arrived  at  the  hut  in  the  valley.  He  told 
them  that  he  had  made  the  house  for  them,  expecting 
and  praying  they  would  come  to  occupy  it ;  and  now 
that  they  had  arrived,  he  and  all  he  had  were  at  their 
disposal.  This  offer  was  sincere,  as  he  proved  by  his 
acts,  for  they  were  installed  in  the  hut  as  its  sole 
owners  and  possessors,  their  guide  occupying  one 
adjacent  which  was  older  and  much  smaller.  He 
bade  them  rest  while  he  prepared  supper  for  them, 
then  unsaddled  the  bullocks,  removed  their  loads,  and 
turned  them  loose  to  graze  in  the  luxuriant  herbage, 
after  which  he  proceeded  to  the  little  cook-house  and 
got  together  a  nice  repast  in  short  order,  which  he 
set  before  his  guests  with  many  apologies  for  the  lack 
of  luxuries. 

The  boys  were  too  tired  to  offer  any  opposition  to 
his  plans,  and  concluding  that  —  at  least  for  that 
night  —  it  would  be  best  to  take  what  the  gods  pro 
vided  without  question,  they  accepted  his  ministra 
tions  gratefully. 

It  was  a  fair  view  spread  before  them  when  the 
boys  went  outside  the  hut  the  morning  after  their 
arrival  and  looked  about.  A  winding  path  led  from 
the  hut's  door  to  the  brook,  where  in  a  pool  beneath 
overhanging  bamboos  they  had  their  morning  bath. 
The  air  was  cool  and  sweet,  fragrant  with  the  perfume 
of  orange  blossoms,  and  in  the  sun  sparkled  the  jew- 


Contentment  without  Wealth.         §  269 

elled  crests  and  throats  of  many  humming-birds, 
which  danced  like  sprites  above  the  pool  and  flashed 
their  iridescent  plumage  before  their  visitors'  eyes. 
The  level  fields  beyond  the  stream  were  filled  with 
sugar-cane,  wild  and  cultivated,  the  tasselled  tops  of 
which  were  like  the  plumes  of  Indian  chiefs,  the 
leaves  glistening  like  scimeters  in  the  sunshine. 
Beyond  again  lay  the  broad  forest  belt,  with  miles  of 
greenery  surging  up  at  last  against  the  red  cliffs  of 
the  mountains  that  towered  so  high  above  the 
trees. 

"  Peace,"  sang  the  wind,  in  a  gentle  lullaby ; 
"  peace  "  murmured  the  stream,  and  "  peace  "  warbled 
the  birds  in  the  thickets.  Peace  and  rest,  shelter 
from  danger  and  protection  against  the  wiles  of  wicked 
men,  —  all  this  appealed  strongly  to  these  young 
men,  and  instead  of  feeling  like  accepting  their  guide 
as  a  servant  they  were  more  disposed  to  set  him  on 
a  pedestal  and  worship  him. 

"That  would  be  the  real  old  African  fashion, 
wouldn't  it,  Arthur  ? "  said  Hartley,  in  reply  to  a  sug 
gestion  of  the  sort  from  his  brother.  "  I  suppose 
some  of  his  ancestors  may  have  worshipped  fetiches 
on  the  Gold  Coast,  before  the  slavers  kidnapped  and 
took  them  to  America.  Now  confess,  isn't  he  a 
darling  ? " 

"  He  has  been  good  to  us,  that's  a  fact,"  answered 
Arthur.  "I  can't  explain  all  his  doings,  such  for 
instance  as  bringing  our  bullocks  here  when  he  knew 


270,  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

they  could  never  be  got  out  again,  and  blocking  the 
entrance  portal  so  we  could  not  escape." 

"  But  I  don't  want  to  escape,  do  you  ?  "  asked  Hart 
ley,  splashing  the  cool  water  and  basking  in  the  sun 
beneath  the  bamboos. 

"  No,  not  yet.  But  the  time  may  come  when  we 
may,  you  know,  then  —  " 

"  Oh,  bother  your  doubts,  old  melancholy.  I'm 
happy,  through  and  through,  and  so  are  you,  if  you 
will  only  look  into  yourself  and  see." 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  am.  But  then,  there's  the  gold. 
There  are  our  friends  outside  —  the  Consul  and  Don 
Alessandro.  We  shall  miss  them." 

"  Yes,  the  Consul  was  a  true  friend,  and  so  in  his 
way  was  the  Don.  Perhaps  a  way  may  open  by 
which  we  can  repay  them  ;  but  as  for  the  gold  —  poof  ! 
What  need  have  we  of  that  ?  We  are  like  Robinson 
Crusoe,  who,  with  all  his  money,  found  no  use  for  it 
during  half  his  lifetime.  In  fact,  I  guess  we  are 
situated  about  as  he  was,  anyway,  only  we  have  no 
access  to  the  shore  and  so  no  need  for  a  canoe,  and 
no  necessity,  either,  for  spending  months  and  years 
in  hewing  one  out  of  some  great  tree,  as  he  did.  We 
have  a  Man  Friday,  too,  only  he's  not  black,  —  or 
brown,  rather  ;  for  Crusoe's  Friday  was  an  Indian,  I 
believe,  wasn't  he  ?  " 

"  Yes,  a  Carib,  a  native  of  one  of  these  very  islands, 
but  farther  to  the  south,  down  near  the  South  Ameri 
can  coast.  There  were  Indians  here,  at  one  time, 


Contentment  without  Wealth.  271 

but  the  Spaniards  killed  them  all,  many  years  ago, 
unless,  by  chance,  some  escaped  and  hid  in  the 
mountains." 

"  And  why  not  ?  Let's  ask  our  Friday  if  he  ever 
came  across  any  signs  of  them.  Here  he  comes  now, 
and  I  know  by  the  looks  of  him  that  coffee  is  ready, 
and  he  expects  us  to  go  in  and  drink." 

"  Good  morning,  my  masters,"  said  their  voluntary 
servant,  in  Spanish,  coming  down  to  the  stream  and 
beaming  upon  them  with  his  face  full  of  happiness. 
"  Buenos  dias,  maestro s  mtos,  el  cafe"  esta  lista  —  coffee 
awaits  you,  gentlemen." 

He  had  two  big  towels  in  his  hands,  coarse  but 
soft,  which  were  evidently  the  product  of  a  hand  loom 
and  might  have  been  woven  by  himself,  only  they 
had  seen  no  sign  of  the  loom.  These  he  wrapped 
around  them  and  they  ran  laughing  into  the  hut, 
where  they  quickly  dressed  and  soon  sat  down  to  the 
morning  coffee. 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  Arthur,  despairingly,  after  trying 
in  vain  to  induce  their  friend  to  sit  down  with  them. 
"  He  will  just  spoil  us  with  his  attentions.  I  don't 
believe  he  will  let  us  do  a  thing." 

"  Well,  if  he  likes  it,  why  not  ?  "  replied  Hartley, 
philosophically.  "  But,  do  you  know,  we  haven't 
found  out  his  name.  I'm  going  to  ask  him  what  it 
is." 

"  My  name  ? "  replied  the  man,  in  response  to 
Hartley's  question.  "  To  be  sure.  What  a  fool  I 


272  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

was  not  to  tell  you.  Why,  it  is  Esteban,  a  su  disposi 
tion  de  ustedes,  caballeros  —  Stephen,  at  your  service, 
gentlemen." 

"  And  mine  is  Hartley  Strong,  and  this  is  my 
brother  Arthur.  Now  we  shall  consider  ourselves 
introduced.  And  there's  another  question  I  wish  to 
ask  you.  It  is  this  :  Have  you  ever  found  any  signs 
of  Indians  in  this  region  ?  Red  men,  you  know,  de 
scendants  of  the  aborigines.  There  were  a  great 
many  here  at  one  time,  the  historians  say,  but  tradi 
tion  states  they  were  all  killed,  long  ago.  Now,  what 
do  you  think,  Senor  Esteban  ?  " 

"  I  think  ?  What,  about  Indians  ? "  replied  the 
man,  falteringly.  "Tell  me,  have  you  seen  any  you 
thought  were  such  ?  Any  in  this  valley  ?  " 

"Well,  no,"  said  Hartley,  with  a  laugh,  "as  we 
came  here  only  last  night.  But  I  think  that  there 
ought  to  be  some  here,  though,  don't  you  ?  " 

"There  might  be,"  rejoined  Esteban,  evasively, 
with  a  troubled  countenance.  "  But  if  you  found 
any,  what  would  you  do  to  them,  senores  ?  " 

"  Do  to  them  ?  Nothing,  of  course.  But  I  should 
feel  like  taking  them  and  putting  them  in  a  glass 
case,  they  are  so  rare,  you  know.  Why,  even  their 
bones  would  bring  a  good  price.  I  know  of  a 
museum  that  would  give  a  hundred  dollars  for  an 
Indian's  skeleton  —  that  is,  one  from  this  island. 
Don't  you  think  we  could  get  that  from  our  govern 
ment  museum,  Art  ? " 


Contentment  without  Wealth.          273 

"  Why,  yes,  I've  no  doubt  of  it,  for  one  has  never 
yet  been  found." 

"  For  their  skeletons  ?  Senores,  do  you  take  me 
for  a  cannibal  ? "  Esteban  spread  out  his  hands, 
with  horror  in  his  face.  Then,  regarding  his  guests 
for  a  moment  inquiringly,  he  darted  from  the  hut 
and  sought  the  shelter  of  his  cook-house.  There  he 
communed  with  himself  something  after  this  fashion  : 
"  I  wonder  if  I  may  trust  them  with  the  secret  ? 
But  no,  I  dare  not.  The  Queen's  life  is  in  my  hands. 
I  would  rather  die  than  betray  her.  But  again,  she 
may  wish  to  see  them.  There  is  so  little  for  her 
diversion  in  this  lonely  place.  I  will  go  ask  her, 
perhaps  she  may  order  them  to  appear  before  her ; 
then  no  blame  can  belong  to  me." 

After  the  boys  had  finished  coffee,  they  went  out 
to  see  how  their  bullocks  were  getting  on,  and  found 
them  up  to  their  knees  in  grass  and  with  scant  time 
to  receive  company.  The  rings  had  been  taken  out 
of  their  noses  at  last,  and  the  boys  were  obliged  to 
confess  that  this  friend  of  theirs  was  more  humane 
than  they  had  been,  or  any  other  man  they  had  ever 
met.  He  rose  at  once  in  their  esteem,  if  that  were 
possible,  and  when  he  again  appeared  they  hastened 
to  tell  him  what  they  thought. 

"  Why,  that  was  but  natural,"  he  replied  gravely  to 
their  praise  of  his  action  in  freeing  the  poor  beasts 
of  their  tormenting  nose-rings.  "  It  may  have  been 
necessary  in  the  world  outside,  where  all  living 


274  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

things  seem  possessed  with  devils  ;  but  not  here. 
All  is  love  in  this  happy  valley ;  no  harm  shall  come 
to  anything  within  it.  But,  senores,  you  must  excuse 
me  for  going  away  this  morning.  I  have  business 
in  the  far  end  of  the  valley.  All  you  see  here  is 
yours ;  cannot  you  entertain  yourselves  while  I  am 
away  ? " 

"  Certainly,  Senor  Esteban,  do  not  give  us  a 
thought.  But  when  will  you  return  ?  "  asked  Arthur. 

"  Do  not  call  me  '  sefior,'  "  said  the  man.  "  I  am 
Esteban,  your  servant.  I  shall  return  before  night. 
You  will  find  food  and  drink  in  your  house.  Enjoy 
as  much  as  you  can  whatever  you  find,  and  remem 
ber,  all  is  yours.  Till  to-night,  then,  adios" 

"  Good-by,  Esteban,  we  shall  look  for  you  in  the 
afternoon." 

"  I  wonder  what's  the  mystery  ?  "  said  Hartley,  as 
they  stood  watching  the  man  striding  across  the 
plain.  "  I  would  give  something  to  find  out,  wouldn't 
you  ? " 


XXX. 

Caonabo  and  Ancient  Cipango. 

"TT  TE   shall   find   out  in  good  time,  I'm  sure," 

VV  Arthur  replied  to  his  brother's  question. 
"  Either  I'm  very  much  mistaken,  or  we  are  on  the 
verge  of  a  great  discovery.  That  man  is  a  mystery 
all  through.  He  is  something  better  than  what  he 
appears, — we  can  tell  that  from  his  speech,  which 
shows  some  education  on  his  part." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  assented  Hartley,  eagerly,  "he  has 
had  excellent  training  somewhere,  and  his  Spanish  is 
perfect.  But  you  have  noticed  it  is  of  a  very  ancient 
form,  almost  archaic,  as  though  he  had  been  brought 
up  in  a  monastery  perhaps,  where  the  language  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella's  time  was  used.  And  his 
age  ?  What  do  you  think  it  is  ?  Sometimes  he 
seems  not  more  than  fifty,  but  at  other  times  more 
than  a  hundred." 

"  A  hundred?  "  said  Arthur.  "  Yes,  indeed,  two  or 
three  hundred.  Why,  I  should  have  no  difficulty  in 
imagining  him  all  of  that.  It  is  strange,  but  there  is 
a  tradition  that  a  Spaniard  named  Esteban  was  taken 
captive  by  Caonabo,  the  fierce  Carib  chieftain." 

"  Yes,  and  do  you  not  recall  that  this  same  Caonabo 
275 


276  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

came  from  the  Cibao,  or  stony  country,  which  Colum 
bus  thought  was  the  veritable  Cipango,  of  which  he 
had  read  in  the  story  by  Marco  Polo,  and  was  in 
search  of  all  his  life  ?  It  was  only  this  morning  that 
Esteban  let  fall  that  word,  Cibao,  in  speaking  of  this 
region  as  the  centre  of  gold  deposits  in  the  island. 
What  if  this  might  be  the  very  district  we  are  in 
search  of,  after  all?" 

"  True,  Hart,  I  hadn't  thought  of  it ;  but  you  may 
be  right.  We've  got  the  transcription  of  the  Consul's 
clew  with  us ;  let's  go  into  the  hut  and  look  it  over." 

Both  boys  were  excited  and  eager,  now,  for  the 
discovery  of  that  gold  which  a  few  hours  before  they 
had  affected  to  hold  in  such  contempt.  Such  is  human 
nature,  after  all.  The  very  name  of  gold  has  a  charm 
about  it,  is  alluring,  fascinating,  despise  its  acquisition 
as  we  may.  All  history  tells  us  of  what  man  has 
suffered  to  obtain  the  precious  metal. 

"  Here  it  is,"  cried  Arthur,  drawing  the  pieje  of 
paper  from  the  corner  of  an  old  pocket-book,  where 
it  had  lain  ever  since  they  had  left  the  capital.  "  Poor 
old  Columbus !  Did  he  ever  imagine  that  his  pre 
cious  clew  would  fall  into  the  hands  of  such  insignifi 
cant  bits  of  humanity  as  we  are  ?  But  no  matter ;  I 
will  read  it :  *  It  is  to  make  known  the  where 
abouts  of  the  treasure  of  the  Cacique  of  the  Golden 
House,  otherwise  known  as  Caonabo,  that  same  Ind 
ian  chieftain  whom  I  caused  to  be  taken  by  Alonzo 
de  Ojeda  and  sent  to  Spain  in  chains,  and  who  died 


Caonabo  and  Ancient  Cipango.         277 

of  grief  on  the  voyage.  Heaven  rest  his  soul,  and 
ease  mine  of  the  heavy  weight  of  this  grievous  sin  !  " 

"  Amen  to  that,  Columbus ;  but  there  were  many 
other  sins  you  had  to  answer  for,  I'll  warrant,"  inter 
jected  Hartley. 

"  Don't  interrupt,"  exclaimed  Arthur,  impatiently. 
"  Pay  attention,  now.  *  Before  he  left  the  city  of 
Isabella  he  told  me  that  in  the  mountains  he  had 
filled  a  great  cave  with  all  the  gold  his  subjects  had 
found  in  many,  many  years,  and  he  told  me  that  to 
reach  this  treasure  cave  one  must  pursue  the  Rio 
Yaqui,  or  del  Oro,  beyond  its  branching  with  the 
Yanico,  then  go  northwardly  for  more  than  a  furlong, 
when  a  narrow  ravine  would  be  found  opening  out  of 
the  stream's  bed,  at  the  head  of  which  was  this  cave, 
its  entrance  hidden  by  a  screen  of  vines.' " 

As  his  brother  finished,  Hartley  clutched  his  arm. 
"  Oh,  Art,"  he  burst  out  excitedly,  "  what  does  this 
description  remind  you  of  ?  Have  we  seen  any  cave 
similar  to  this  one  ?  Have  we  not  arrived,  though  in 
a  roundabout  way,  at  the  locality  given  in  the  paper 
transcribed  from  the  inscription  on  the  silver  plate  ? 
Think,  think,  Art,  do  think  !  " 

"  I  am  thinking,"  replied  Arthur,  with  an  indulgent 
smile  at  his  brother's  injunction.  "And  I  know  what 
you  mean,  too.  You  mean  to  say  that  the  cavern  we 
fell  into  yesterday  was  none  other  than  that  contain 
ing  the  dead  and  gone  Caonabo's  treasure,  do  you 
not?" 


27  8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  Of  course,  stupid !  What  other  could  it  be  ? 
Only,  instead  of  coming  up  to  it  directly  from  the 
Yanico,  we  have  flanked  it  by  marching  from  the 
mountains,  in  the  direction  of  Caonabo's  hiding- 
place,  which  is  also  mentioned  in  the  account  of 
the  conquest.  Can't  you  see  ?  There's  still  a  screen 
of  vines  at  the  cave's  mouth  above  that  ravine ; 
only  "  —  and  here  the  boy  faltered  —  "  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  reach  it  from  that  direction,  for 
no  one  could  have  scaled  that  precipice." 

"Well,"  rejoined  Arthur,  "that  may  have  been  a 
piece  of  foolery  on  the  part  of  the  cacique.  It  is 
hardly  likely  that  he  would  tell  his  deadly  enemy, 
Columbus,  —  one  for  whom  he  is  said  always  to  have 
displayed  the  utmost  contempt,  —  where  his  most 
precious  treasure  was  concealed.  He  probably  was 
satisfied  that  it  was  in  an  inaccessible  spot  and 
wished  to  tantalize  the  Spaniards  and  at  the  same 
time,  perhaps,  hold  out  a  bribe  for  them  to  liberate 
him." 

"  I  believe  you're  right,  Art.  It  is  just  like  my 
foolishness  to  '  fly  off  the  handle  '  half  loaded.  You 
may  be  slower,  but  in  the  end  you're  surer.  That's 
the  explanation  exactly." 

"Of  what?"  asked  Arthur,  laughing.  "The  ex 
planation  of  your  foolishness  —  which,  by  the  way, 
I'm  glad  to  hear  you  admit  —  or  of  the  secret  of  the 
cacique's  treasure  ? " 

"  Oh,  bother   your  superior  airs.     I'll  take  it  all 


Caonabo  and  Ancient  Cipango.         279 

back  —  what  I  said  about  myself.  I  meant  the  treas 
ure,  of  course.  It's  there,  I  do  really  believe,  stowed 
away  in  the  back  part  of  that  cavern,  —  that  is,  if 
somebody  hasn't  found  it  out  and  taken  it  away." 

"  And  that  may  have  been.  We  must  prepare  for 
disappointment ;  and  the  best  way  to  do  it  is  to  imag 
ine  ourselves  just  as  well  off  without  it.  Gold  is 
good  enough,  Hart,  in  its  way,  but  it  isn't  every 
thing.  In  fact,  it  was  only  a  few  hours  ago  that  we 
imagined  we  should  never  care  more  for  it,  you 
know." 

"  Yes,  I  know.  But  it's  the  fun  of  finding  it. 
Just  imagine  looking  upon  a  treasure  that  has  been 
hidden  away  more  than  four  centuries  !  And  it  won't 
be  in  grains  and  nuggets,  probably,  but  most  of  it  in 
articles  of  Indian  workmanship,  themselves  worth  far 
more  than  any  amount  of  gold  they  contain." 

"  That's  true,  Hart,  and  I  don't  say  that  I  am  un 
mindful  of  its  value  archaeologically.  That's  a  big 
word,  isn't  it  ?  Did  I  get  it  right,  I  wonder  ?  Well, 
I  mean  its  value  to  the  museums  and  to  men  who 
make  a  study  of  ancient  objects.  I  should  like  to 
contribute  something  to  the  sum  of  human  knowl 
edge,  wouldn't  you  ?  And  since  we  haven't  any  high 
attributes  or  attainments  ourselves,  by  which  we 
might  be  able  to  produce  some  original  work  of 
merit,  —  why,  the  next  best  thing  is  to  do  it  second 
hand.  Don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  replied  Hartley,  dubiously.     "  But 


The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 


we  haven't  got  the  things  yet,  and  what  is  more,  we 
never  shall  get  them,  unless  we  bestir  ourselves  and 
think  of  some  scheme  for  getting  into  the  cave  —  and 
then  out  again.  For  even  after  we  get  in,  you  know, 
we  may  be  in  the  plight  of  the  boy  who  tried  the  fly 
ing  machine,  '  It  ain't  so  hard  to  fly,  but  it's  the 
lighting  '  -—  or  something  of  that  sort.  I  don't  know, 
but  seems  to  me  we  shall  have  to  take  Don  Esteban 
into  our  confidence.  What  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  think  it  is  a  case  of  necessity,  for,  supposing  we 
should  gain  access  to  the  cave  and  find  the  treasure, 
we  could  not  get  out  of  the  valley  with  it  unless  he 
found  it  out.  What's  more,  we  can't  get  out  of  the 
valley,  anyway.  So  what  are  we  going  to  do  about 
it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.  Give  it  up,  I  guess.  But  one 
thing  we'd  better  do,  and  that  is  go  over  the  account 
of  Caonabo's  connection  with  the  first  coming  of  the 
Spaniards,  and  see  if  we  have  got  the  bearings 
correctly." 

"  Agreed,  it's  a  good  suggestion.  Get  the  history, 
Hart,  and  we'll  settle  that  right  away.  Ah,  here's 
the  place  !  " 

"  *  Now,  two  days  after  entering  the  valley  of  the 
Yaqui,'  the  historian  says,  'the  band  of  Spaniards 
finally  reached  the  confines  of  the  Cibao  region, 
where  indeed  they  found  the  streams  running  over 
golden  sands  and  pebbles.  On  the  morning  of  the 
third  day  Columbus  entered  the  region  toward  which 


Caonabo  and  Ancient  Cipango.          281 

his  gaze  had  been  directed  for  so  many  months  and 
even  years  —  Cibao  —  but  instead  of  finding  it  the 
veritable  Cipango,  as  described  by  the  learned  Marco 
Polo,  he  found  that  he  had  been  deceived  by  the 
similarity  of  names,  and  that  it  was  merely  a  rugged 
and  mountainous  region  of  Haiti,  or  Hispaniola. 
But  the  signs  of  gold  were  numerous  enough  for  it 
to  have  been  indeed  the  original  Cipango  (land  of 
golden  sands),  and  they  were  so  convincing  as  to  the 
country's  natural  wealth,  that  he  concluded  to  erect 
a  fort  here,  on  a  bluff  half  surrounded  by  a  crystal 
stream,  the  bed  of  which  fairly  glistened  with  parti 
cles  of  gold.  This  stream  was  called  Yanico  by  the 
natives,  and  the  fortress  erected  here  was  named 
Santo  Tomas  de  Yanico.' 

"  Thus  far  we  have  already  verified  the  account  as 
perfectly  true,  haven't  we,  Hart  ?  And  so  up  to  this 
point  we  are  absolutely  sure  of  our  ground.  Wouldn't 
you  say  so  ? " 

"  Yes,  there's  no  doubt  of  that,  for  we've  been  on 
the  spot." 

"  Well,  then,  to  connect  the  locality  with  Caonabo, 
the  Cacique  of  the  Golden  House,  we  must  read  on 
a  little  farther.  We  must  recollect  that  after  the 
fort  had  been  built  it  was  garrisoned  by  a  small  body 
of  Spanish  soldiers  under  the  command  of  that  brave 
but  rash  adventurer,  Alonzo  de  Ojeda.  If  he  had 
not  been  so  cruel,  like  all  those  companions  of  his, 
however,  he  would  figure  in  history  as  one  of  the 


282  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

most  gallant  spirits  that  ever  drew  sword  on  the  soil 
of  America.  He  was  that  same  cavalier  who,  at  an 
entertainment  given  in  Seville  to  Queen  Isabella, 
walked  out  to  the  end  of  a  beam  projecting  from  the 
top  of  the  Giralda,  the  old  Moorish  tower,  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  from  the  ground,  and  kicked  an  orange 
into  the  air,  and  then  walked  back  again,  to  the 
great  admiration  of  the  people  assembled  in  the  plaza 
below.  One  of  the  first  caballeros  to  come  out  to  the 
New  World,  he  was  always  in  the  forefront  of  every 
skirmish,  and  engaged  in  hair-brained  escapades. 

"  Well,  Columbus  sent  him  to  take  charge  of  Fort 
St.  Thomas,  and  here  he  was  so  closely  besieged  by 
Caonabo,  who  swooped  down  upon  him  from  the 
mountains,  that  he  almost  succumbed  from  hunger 
and  thirst.  When  just  at  the  last  extremity,  however, 
he  was  rescued,  and  then  turned  about  and  chased 
Caonabo  to  his  lair  beyond  the  crest  of  the  cordil- 
leras  on  the  northern  slope.  Here  he  had  his  head 
quarters,  called  Managua ;  and  by  the  way,  the  village 
is  in  existence  yet,  though  occupied  by  blacks  instead 
of  Indians. 

"Taking  with  him  a  few  brave  comrades,  Ojeda 
made  his  way  through  the  mountain  forests,  and 
finally  came  upon  Caonabo  taking  a  bath  in  a  stream. 
He  had  so  few  men  with  him  that  the  Indian  cacique 
did  not  fear  and  invited  him  to  share  his  hospitality. 
Taking  a  pair  of  manacles  from  his  saddle-bow,  Ojeda 
showed  them  to  Caonabo,  and  told  him  he  had 


Caonabo  and  Ancient  Cipango.          283 

brought  them  to  him  as  gift  from  the  great  king  of 
Spain,  his  master,  whom  he  and  all  the  other  Span- 
jards  served.  They  were  bright  and  shining,  and 
when  Ojeda  told  the  poor  simple  savage  that  they 
were  bracelets  made  of  heavenly  metal,  called  '  turey,' 
he  slipped  them  on  his  wrists.  Instantly  seizing  the 
unsuspicious  Caonabo,  Ojeda,  who  was  a  man  of 
immense  strength,  swung  him  to  the  saddle,  and  at 
once  set  off  on  the  back  trail  for  the  fort,  eventually 
reaching  it  and  afterward  delivering  the  cacique,  a 
prisoner,  to  Columbus  at  Isabella,  whence  he  was 
sent  to  Spain ;  but  he  died  of  grief  on  the  voyage." 

"  His  heart  was  broken,"  said  a  deep  voice  at  the 
door  of  the  hut.  "  The  Spanish  fiends  killed  him  — 
a  dastardly  outrage  !  " 


XXXI. 

A  Martyr  to  Science. 

THE  boys  turned  in  their  hammocks  and  saw 
Esteban  standing  in  the  doorway,  a  fierce 
scowl  on  his  face  and  his  hands  clenched.  His 
stern  features  softened  somewhat  as  they  looked  at 
him  with  inquiry  depicted  on  their  countenances, 
but  he  shook  his  shaggy  head  threateningly,  as  he 
added : — 

"Yes,  they  were  fiends  from  inferno,  —  all  of  them, 
nor  was  Don  Cristobal  Colon,  even,  an  exception. 
They  killed  Caonabo,  my  grandfather's  friend,  his 
benefactor,  who  sheltered  him  in  extremity." 

"Your  ancestor,  perhaps,  but  not  your  grand 
father,  Esteban." 

"  What  did  I  say  ?  Yes,  of  course  it  was  my 
ancestor.  But  it  may  have  been  my  grandfather. 
Do  I  not  look  old?" 

"  Yes,  you  do  just  now,"  faltered  Arthur,  while  his 
brother  gazed  at  the  man  in  silent  astonishment. 
Over  his  rugged  features  had  come  a  change,  and 
indeed  he  looked  as  if  he  might  be  any  age,  even 
more  than  a  century. 

"But,  Esteban,"  insisted  Arthur,  "Caonabo  died 
284 


A   Martyr  to  Science.  285 

four  hundred  years  ago.  It  would  be  impossible  for 
your  grandfather  to  have  seen  him." 

"  Impossible  ?  Ah,  Dios !  I  have  not  lived  all 
the  time ;  I  have  died.  Yes,  died  four  hundred 
years,  until  I  came  to  this  happy  valley."  His  face 
softened  again  and  he  looked  younger;  perhaps  he 
might  have  been  forty,  perhaps  five  score.  The 
boys  could  only  gaze  in  awe. 

"You  have  perhaps  read,"  continued  Esteban,  in 
a  low  musical  voice,  as  if  engaged  in  reminiscence, 
"that  amongst  the  crew  of  the  Nina,  the  smallest 
vessel  that  sailed  in  Don  Cristobal's  fleet  on  the  first 
voyage  to  America,  there  was  a  Moor,  who,  being 
dark,  was  called  a  negro.  Senores,"-  — and  here  his 
tone  became  loud  and  sonorous,  his  mien  majestic,  as 
he  rose  to  his  full  height  and  stretched  out  both 
hands  toward  heaven  as  if  in  supplication,  —  "senores, 
my  ancestor  was  that  Moor !  He  was  the  '  negro  ' 
left  in  the  fort  of  Navidad,  when  Don  Cristobal  Colon 
sailed  away  and  a  garrison  of  forty  men  remained  to 
match  themselves  against  the  millions  of  savages  in 
this  New  World.  Senores,  reflect,  there  were  no 
other  Europeans  in  this  hemisphere  but  those  forty 
men,  after  Don  Cristobal  had  left  them  alone  in  that 
little  fort  of  Navidad.  But,  even  so,  had  they  been 
kind  and  just,  nothing  would  have  happened  to  them, 
for  the  cacique  whose  land  the  fort  was  on  was  great 
of  mind  and  generous.  He  was  also  very  simple, 
was  this  Cacique  Guacanagari,  and  he  could  not 


286  The   Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

understand  the  Spaniards'  lust  for  gold  and  ignoble 
things.  He  gave  them  all  the  gold  he  had,  even  to 
the  coronet  off  his  head,  which  was  of  beaten  gold, 
pure  and  fine ;  yet  were  not  the  Spaniards  satisfied, 
and  they  abused  him  to  his  face. 

"Then,  it  having  come  to  the  ears  of  Caonabo, 
the  cacique  of  the  mountains,  what  was  happening 
to  him,  he  made  all  haste  to  his  assistance.  He  was 
of  a  different  tribe  from  Guacanagari,  being  of  the 
fierce  Carib  race,  whose  home  was  in  the  southern 
islands  and  in  South  America.  He  had  strayed  to 
this  island  in  his  war  canoe,  and  had  become  great  in 
this,  the  country  of  his  adoption.  He  was  called 
cacique,  or  chief,  of  the  mountains  only  ;  but  in  fact 
he  might  have  been  and  really  was  lord  over  all, 
owing  to  his  bravery  and  warlike  disposition.  So  he 
came  down  to  the  coast,  and  finding  the  Spanish 
garrison  straying  about  in  fancied  security,  having 
taken  by  force  the  Indians'  most  precious  posses 
sions,  he  fell  upon  and  slew  them  all,  he  and  his  war 
riors,  —  all  but  Esteban  the  Moor,  whose  descendant 
you  now  see  before  you !  " 

"  All  this  we  can  believe,"  said  Hartley,  who  had 
now  recovered  speech,  "  for  it  is  history  —  all  except 
the  reference  to  yourself.  For  how  comes  it  that 
you  should  have  existed  so  long  alone  here  in  the 
mountains  ? " 

"  How  ? "  asked  Esteban,  wearily,  passing  a  hand 
over  his  eyes.  "  Ah,  but  that  is  a  story  too  long  to 


A  Martyr  to  Science.  287 

tell  at  present  When  the  rainy  season  comes  and 
the  hurricanes ;  when  the  floods  pour  down  and  keep 
us  indoors  all  the  time,  —  then  will  be  time  to  tell 
you. 

"  But  you  do  not  know  all  when  you  say  that  I  am 
the  only  descendant  of  those  many  millions  who  has 
lived  till  the  present.  And  this  reminds  me  of  what  I 
have  at  last  concluded  to  tell  you,  that  some  of  those 
others  still  live  in  this  valley.  Yes,"  noting  their 
start  of  surprise,  "  in  the  far  end  of  the  vale,  and  I 
have  just  come  from  them,  bearing  the  gracious  con 
sent  of  the  Queen  that  you  shall  make  a  visit  of  cere 
mony  and  pay  your  devotions  to  her  and  her  court." 

"Queen!"  ejaculated  Arthur.  "Court!"  cried 
Hartley.  "What  queen?  What  court?" 

Each  told  the  other  afterward  that  he  looked 
astonished.  And  no  wonder,  for  of  all  the  astound 
ing  information  that  might  have  been  given  them, 
this  —  that  there  still  survived  aboriginal  Indians  in 
the  island  of  Santo  Domingo  —  was  least  expected. 
However,  although  they  thought  they  knew  as  a 
historical  fact  that  the  last  of  the  aboriginal  Indians 
here  perished  more  than  two  centuries  ago,  they  did 
not  purpose  to  allow  their  doubts  to  stand  in  the  way 
of  a  possibly  fascinating  exploration. 

"  When  can  we  go  ? "  asked  Arthur. 

"  To-day  ?  "  inquired  Hartley,  eagerly. 

"  No,  not  to-day,  nor  perhaps  to-morrow,"  replied 
Esteban,  gravely.  "  Such  a  presentation  —  being 


288  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  first  that  has  ever  taken  place  since  the  Span 
iards  conquered  Lthe  royal  ancestors  of  this,  my 
queen  —  must  not  be  allowed  without  solemn  prep 
aration.  The  remainder  of  this  day  I  shall  devote 
to  the  gathering  of  precious  spices,  herbs  of  virtue, 
and  incense-breathing  gums,  with  which  you  shall 
be  fumigated,  and  also  you  must  fast  to-morrow  from 
the  rising  to  the  going  down  of  the  sun.  Adios,  once 
more,  my  masters.  Hasta  manana  —  till  to-morrow." 
With  these  words,  Esteban  bowed  with  exaggerated 
dignity,  and  strode  forth  again  in  the  direction  whence 
he  had  come. 

"  Well,  Art,  isn't  that  a  nightmare  ? "  said  Hartley 
to  his  brother,  rubbing  his  eyes  and  running  to  the 
door  for  a  final  glimpse  of  Esteban.  He  had  disap 
peared,  however,  and  the  boy  returned  to  the  ham 
mock  in  which  Arthur  was  sitting.  "  Art,  pinch  me, 
nip  me  good  and  hard,  for  I  begin  to  doubt  my 
senses." 

"No  need,"  replied  Arthur,  "for  I  heard  it  all 
myself.  It  isn't  likely  we  both  would  have  been 
mistaken  as  to  the  evidence  of  our  ears.  But  I 
must  say  it  is  strange,  very  strange." 

"  Isn't  it,  though  ?  Just  like  a  wonderful  dream. 
But  I  guess  it  won't  seem  so  strange,  nor  so  funny, 
either,  when  we  come  to  the  fumigating  part  and 
the  fasting.  Tell  you  what  I'm  going  to  do.  I'm 
going  to  lay  in  as  much  as  I  can  eat  to-day  against 
the  privations  of  the  morrow.  That  Queen  may  be 


A  Martyr  to  Science.  289 

all  glorious  and  great,  but  I'm  not  going  to  let  the 
thought  of  her  take  my  appetite  away.  Suppose  she's 
some  old  hag  of  an  Indian  who  has  been  passed  down 
from  a  former  generation,  and  imagines  she's  a  thou 
sand  years  old  or  more,  as  Esteban  does.  And,  I 
suppose,  we'll  have  to  perform  the  kotow  by  knock 
ing  our  foreheads  seven  times  against  the  palace 
floor  —  which  likely  is  of  mud  —  and  prostrate  our 
selves  in  mock  humility  before  this  relic  of  aboriginal 
royalty." 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  refuse  to  go,"  groaned 
Arthur.  "  It  will  be  awful,  simply  awful.  But 
then,  we  must  go,  of  course,  as  martyrs  to  science, 
if  nothing  else.  Think  of  the  stir  this  news  will 
make  at  home  amongst  the  ethnologists !  After  all, 
I'm  willing  to  undergo  a  great  deal  for  sake  of  proof 
that  there  are  Indians  yet  living  in  the  island." 

"  Bother  the  ethnologists  !  What  have  they  ever 
done  for  us  —  as  the  Irishman  said  of  posterity  — 
that  we  should  make  a  sacrifice  of  ourselves  in  this 
way  ?  But  I'm  anxious  to  see  the  Queen,  anyway, 
and  we'll  take  along  our  camera  and  have  her  por 
trait —  that  is,  if  Esteban  wouldn't  think  it  a  profa 
nation  and  forbid  it.  Why,  come  to  think  of  it,  Art, 
such  a  portrait  would  be  almost  priceless." 

"  To  be  sure,  we'll  take  the  camera ;  but  I  doubt  if 
Esteban  will  let  us  use  it.  He  has  not  seen  it  yet, 
has  he  ?  No  ?  Then  he  may  be  as  afraid  of  it  as 
those  Arabs  we  tried  to  take  in  Biskara,  last  year. 


290  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

They  thought,  you  know,  —  and  doubtless  he  will 
think  the  same,  —  that  by  taking  an  impression  of 
them  on  the  film  in  the  dark  box  we  would  ever  after 
have  control  over  their  lives." 

"  Yes,  I  remember,  and  I  also  recall  what  a  risky 
thing  it  was  photographing  in  the  cemetery  at  Tlem- 
cen,  when  that  old  sunburnt  African  sneaked  up  just 
as  you  were  pointing  the  camera  at  a  group  of 
women  and  was  about  to  stick  a  knife  in  your  back. 
There  may  be  some  sort  of  experience  like  that  here, 
you  know,  and  we'd  better  go  prepared." 

"  Well,  I  shall  take  a  revolver,  and  so  will  you ; 
but  I  should  not  like  to  use  it  on  old  Esteban,  or  any 
one  else  in  this  valley." 

"  I  don't  know,"  rejoined  Hartley,  "  think  I  would 
if  it  came  to  a  game  of  life  and  death  —  either  their 
lives  or  ours.  You  know  the  saying,  — '  The  only 
good  Indian  is  a  dead  Indian ! '  And  so  far  as  that 
goes,  I  really  suppose  the  museums  would  give  as 
much  for  one  that  had  been  mummified  or  preserved 
in  some  way  as  if  he  were  alive,  or  probably  more." 

Such  was  the  purport  of  their  conversation  that 
afternoon,  while  old  Esteban  was  absent  on  his 
search  for  herbs  and  gums.  He  came  back  about 
dusk,  gave  a  sharp  glance  at  the  boys  as  he  passed 
them  swinging  in  the  hammocks,  and  at  once  went 
to  the  cook-house,  whence,  after  a  while,  dense  clouds 
of  smoke  and  a  terrible  odor  proclaimed  that  he  was 
probably  concocting  his  medicines. 


A  Martyr  to  Science.  291 

It  was  long  after  dark ;  the  boys  had  eaten  their 
fill  of  the  good  things  left  for  them  in  the  hut,  and 
were  sitting  beneath  a  silk-cotton  tree  conversing  in 
low  tones  of  their  probable  fortune,  when  Esteban 
appeared  before  them  carrying  in  each  hand  a 
calabash. 

"  Drink,"  he  said  to  Arthur,  proffering  the  cala 
bash,  which  was  half  full  of  a  black  liquid  having  a 
very  disagreeable  odor.  Arthur  took  it,  and  then  the 
second  calabash  was  presented  to  Hartley.  "  Drink," 
was  the  command,  in  the  same  fierce  tone,  accom 
panied  by  a  scowl  that  wrinkled  the  man's  features 
into  the  semblance  of  a  mummy's. 

"  Hold  on,  Art,"  exclaimed  Hartley,  as  his  brother 
raised  the  vessel  to  his  lips  and  was  about  to  drink. 
"  I  think  this  is  carrying  confidence  in  a  comparative 
stranger  a  little  too  far.  This  stuff  may  be  poison. 
Who  knows  ?  More  likely  than  not.  Here,  — " 
turning  to  Esteban,  —  "  what  is  this  for  ?  Have  you 
any  more  of  it?  " 

"  Yes,  my  master,"  answered  the  man,  in  a  tone  of 
humility.  "  It  is  to  purge  you  from  all  iniquities. 
Drink,  and  you  will  be  purified." 

"  Well,  then,  if  you  have  more,  suppose  you  drink 
this  dose  yourself.  It's  a  poor  doctor  that  won't 
take  his  own  medicine." 

Esteban  seized  the  calabash,  placed  it  to  his  lips, 
and  drained  it  at  a  draught.  He  displayed  no  emo 
tion,  either  of  resentment  or  fear,  but  as  soon  as  he 


292  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

had  drunk  the  liquid,  he  sat  down  with  his  head  sup 
ported  against  the  bole  of  the  silk-cotton  tree  and 
fell  into  a  stupor. 

"Ha,  just  as  I  thought!"  exclaimed  Hartley. 
''You  see,  Art,  what  we've  escaped.  Now  I'm 
going  to  watch  Don  Esteban  till  he  awakes,  if  he 
ever  does  this  side  eternity,  and  — " 

He  was  interrupted  by  a  heavy  thud,  as  of  some 
one  falling,  and  looking  around,  saw  in  the  dusk  his 
brother  stretched  upon  the  ground.  His  attention 
had  been  drawn  to  Esteban,  while  he  was  delivering 
his  harangue,  and  he  had  not  seen  Arthur  as  he 
drank  the  potion,  but  at  once  surmised  the  cause  of 
his  collapse. 

"Well,  here's  a  pretty  pickle!"  he  exclaimed  in 
sorrowful  resentment,  as  he  stooped  over  to  raise  his 
brother  from  the  ground.  "  Two  fools,  if  I  ever  met 
any  of  that  sort,  and  one  of  them  my  own  brother. 
Now  I'll  put  Art  in  one  hammock,  and  the  old  man 
in  the  other.  If  this  proves  fatal  to  Art,  I'll  put 
a  bullet  through  Mr.  Esteban,  sure  as  fate.  Oh, 
dear,  what  if  he  should  die ! " 


XXXII. 

Native  Narcotics  and  Incense. 

ALL  night  long  Hartley  watched  in  the  dark 
over  those  two  unconscious  ones ;  all  night, 
with  his  every  sense  alert  for  any  sign  of  wakef ulness 
in  either.  He  fully  expected  Esteban  to  come  out 
of  his  stupor  first,  more  than  half  believing  he  was 
shamming.  But  the  dawn  had  broken  before  either 
moved  or  showed  any  sign  of  life.  The  boy's  anxiety 
may  perhaps  better  be  imagined  than  described,  and 
the  wild  thoughts  that  flitted  through  his  brain, 
when  he  reviewed  the  events  that  led  up  to  this 
final  catastrophe,  almost  caused  him  to  spring  upon 
and  end  the  existence  of  their  author. 

Esteban  came  first  to  consciousness,  as  he  expected, 
looking  about  with  dull,  lack-lustre  eyes,  just  as  the 
darkness  was  dissipated  by  the  dawn. 

He  finally  caught  the  stern  gaze  of  the  boy  fixed 
upon  him,  and  he  neither  flinched  nor  gave  token  of 
surprise,  but  returned  it  doggedly. 

"  When  will  he  wake  ?  "  asked  Hartley,  icily,  point 
ing  to  his  brother,  who  had  not  yet  stirred.  "  Will 
he  ever  wake  ?  " 

"  He  ?  Oh,  you  mean  your  brother  ?  It  is  time, 
293 


294  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

almost,  now;  within  half  an  hour,  surely.  So  you 
have  watched  us  all  the  night  ?  That  was  a  waste 
of  time,  you  had  better  have  slept." 

"  It  would  not  have  been  a  waste  of  time  if  you 
had  not  slept,  Seftor  Esteban,  —  that  is,  for  you." 

"  Ho,  that  is  it !  You  suspect  me  of  treachery, 
and  in  my  own  home,  to  those  whom  I  have  invited 
to  partake  of  my  hospitality.  Senor,  you  wrong 
me." 

"  I  can  best  judge  of  that  when  my  brother  regains 
his  senses,"  rejoined  Hartley,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"  Well,  he  is  doing  that  now,  this  moment,"  replied 
Esteban,  "  and  if  you  will  ask  him  I  will  stake  my 
life  that  he  will  tell  you  he  has  had  a  pleasant  sleep 
-  has  been,  in  sooth,  in  paradise." 

As  Arthur  turned  over  in  the  hammock  his  brother 
darted  to  his  side,  seeking  his  eyes  for  the  first  dawn 
of  intelligence.  "  Where  am  I  ? "  he  murmured. 
"  Is  that  you,  Hart  ?  Why,  I  dreamed  I  was  float 
ing  in  the  clouds,  surrounded  by  glorious  beings,  and 
all,  all  was  delightful." 

"  It  must  have  been  the  hasheesh,  dear  boy,  that 
Esteban  made  you  drink.  He,  too,  has  been  in 
paradise,  he  says ;  and  in  fact,  if  anything  had 
happened  to  you,  he  would  have  now  surely  been 
there,  or  somewhere  else,  rather  than  living  here 
with  us." 

"  Oh,  don't  blame  Esteban,  for  he  means  well 
enough,"  said  Arthur,  sitting  up  and  looking  around. 


Native  Narcotics  and  Incense.          295 

Then  he  threw  off  his  brother's  arms,  after  giving 
him  a  hearty  hug,  stood  up,  and  stretched  him 
self. 

"  I'm  perfectly  well,  and  don't  feel  at  all  worse, 
except  for  a  slight  headache.  You  know,  of  course, 
why  I  did  it,  Hart.  I  want  to  see  the  Queen  and 
her  court,  and  as  that  was  one  of  the  conditions,  I 
accepted  it,  after  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  I 
could  place  implicit  trust  in  Esteban." 

"  Well,"  retorted  his  brother,  tartly,  "  you  are  credu 
lous,  and  I  suppose  that  I've  lost  my  only  chance. 
But  no  matter.  You  go  along  whenever  Esteban  is 
ready,  and  I'll  stay  here  till  you  come  back." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  without  you,  Hart,"  pleaded 
Arthur.  "  Perhaps  Esteban  will  let  you  go,  anyway. 
Won't  you,  Esteban  ?  " 

The  old  man  shook  his  head,  though  betraying  no 
animosity  toward  Hartley,  only  perfect  indifference. 

"  No,  he  has  not  been  purified.  He  cannot  go 
before  the  Queen." 

"Purified?  Hear  him,  will  you?  I  guess  I'm 
as  good  as  he  is,  with  all  his  boasted  virtues,  though 
I  may  not  be  a  saint." 

"  Maybe,  maybe,"  muttered  Esteban.  "  No  saint 
myself;  but  Queen  is  angel.  Come,  my  master," 
addressing  Arthur,  "  let  Esteban  fumigate  you  with 
this  incense  of  precious  gums,  then  we  will  start;  for 
the  way  is  long,  your  fast  will  be  prolonged,  your 
hunger  great." 


296  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"My!  but  that  smells  good!"  exclaimed  Hartley. 
"  Here,  fumigate  me,  too."  But  Esteban,  who  had 
brought  out  a  censer  made  by  cutting  a  calabash  in 
halves  and  attaching  to  it  strings  of  twisted  bark, 
waved  him  aside,  as  he  proceeded  to  envelop  Arthur 
in  a  fragrant  cloud. 

"  No,  no,  you  not  in  right  state  of  mind,"  he  said 
to  Hartley.  "Your  brother  all  right.  Now  he  has 
complied  with  all  the  rules,  he  will  go  with  me.  You 
stay  here,  and  if  sometime  you  repent,  then  —  quien 
sabt?  —  who  knows  ?  — you  may  be  permitted  to  see 
Indian  Queen." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  so  smitten.  Guess  I'll  survive. 
Good-by,  Art.  Don't  let  her  turn  your  head,  and 
come  back  soon  as  you  can." 

"  Good-by,  Hart.     You're  not  offended,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  But  you  must  get  back  to-morrow, 
Art,  or  day  after,  for  it  will  be  very  lonely  here  with 
out  you,  remember." 

"Yes,  Hart,  to-morrow,  or  day  after.  Can't  we, 
Esteban  ? " 

"  To-morrow,  —  manana,  —  oh  yes,  certainly."  But 
he  added  aside,  "  That  word  means  '  next  day  '  and 
perhaps  next  week,  or  century !  " 

As  they  were  starting  Hartley  noticed  that  Este 
ban  had,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  equipment  for  a 
journey,  both  the  old  Toledos,  —  the  Conquistadores' 
swords,  —  which  he  carried  carefully,  even  with  rever 
ence.  They  had  been  placed  in  a  corner  of  the  hut, 


Native  Narcotics  and  Incense.          297 

objects  of  almost  as  much  adoration  to  Esteban  as  if 
they  were  gods  or  fetiches.  Asked  to  explain  it,  he 
said  that  they  took  him  back  to  the  time  when  the 
Spaniards  came  here  and  the  terrible  deeds  they 
committed  with  them. 

"  Ah,  they  were  valiant  swordsmen,  those  Conquis- 
tadores,"  he  told  the  boys.  "  They  were  fierce  and 
cruel,  but  very  brave  and  expert  with  the  sword  and 
cross-bow.  Why,  they  would  repeatedly,  when  at 
play,  cut  off  the  heads  of  several  Indians,  each  at  a 
single  -blow.  Yes,  indeed.  They  thought  nothing  of 
cleaving  an  Indian's  skull  to  the  chin  at  one  swift 
stroke.  They  used  to  lop  off  heads  as  if  they  were 
the  tops  of  turnips,  and  of  no  more  value  in  the  sight 
of  God." 

"  But  what  do  you  want  of  both  swords,  Esteban  ?" 
demanded  Hartley  of  the  Moor.  "  Better  leave  one 
for  me;  one  is  mine,  anyway,  you  know." 

"  Want  to  show  them  to  Queen,"  muttered  Este 
ban.  "  She  has  heard  about  old  Toledos,  with  which 
her  ancestors'  heads  were  cut  off  in  sport  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  these  will  interest  her.  Stick  one  up 
each  side  her  throne,  and  her  subjects  think  all  the 
Spaniards  at  last  subdued.  Make  them  feel  good." 

"  I  don't  care  how  it  will  make  them  feel.  One  of 
those  swords  is  mine,  and  I  think  it's  mighty  cool  of 
you  to  take  it  along  without  even  as  much  as  '  by 
your  leave.' ' 

"Oh,   let  him   have   it,  what   difference    does  it 


298  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

make  ?  "  said  Arthur.  "  Surely  you  don't  need  it  for 
defence,  do  you  ?  " 

"No,  you  got  your  big  and  little  thunder  gun,  — you 
got  arquebuse,"  added  Esteban.  "  And  then,  nobody 
here  to  make  you  afraid.  Nobody  but  yourself." 

"Well,  then,  go  along.  It  really  doesn't  matter. 
Adios  !  " 

Hartley  strolled  back  to  the  hut  and  affected  to  be 
employed  in  putting  it  in  order ;  but  when  his  brother, 
overcome  at  the  thought  of  leaving  him  alone  and  in 
low  spirits,  darted  back  to  throw  his  arms  around  him 
once  more,  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"  I  won't  go,  Hart,  if  you  feel  badly  about  it," 
asserted  Arthur,  for  the  second  time.  "  Really,  I  don't 
like  to  leave  you  this  way." 

"  Nonsense,"  ejaculated  Hartley,  already  ashamed 
of  his  tears.  "  I  was  angry,  that's  all,  to  be  dictated 
to  by  such  an  ignoramus  as  Esteban.  Now  go,  for 
the  sooner  you  are  off  the  sooner  you  get  back." 

He  gave  Arthur  a  hearty  squeeze  and  pushed  him 
out  of  the  hut.  When  next  he  looked  up  the  two 
were  far  beyond  the  sugar-cane  field,  and  soon  after 
had  disappeared  from  sight. 

It  was  well  toward  noon  when  what  appeared  to 
be  the  eastern  wall  of  the  valley,  as  seen  from  Este- 
ban's  hut,  loomed  directly  above  the  travellers.  All 
egress  was  seemingly  barred,  but  when  Arthur  asked 
Esteban  how  they  were  to  get  through  he  explained 
that  this  was  not  the  real  boundary  of  the  valley, 


Native  Narcotics  and  Incense.          299 

only  a  false  division  barrier.  "  However,"  he  went 
on,  "  though  there  is  a  way  through,  I  am  not  at 
liberty  to  let  you  see  it ;  you  must  now  submit  to  be 
blindfolded." 

There  was  nothing  else  to  do,  so  the  young  man 
allowed  Esteban  to  tie  a  handkerchief  over  his  eyes, 
though  with  many  misgivings  as  to  the  wisdom  of 
such  a  course.  It  occurred  to  him  that  perhaps  the 
Moor  might  be  guilty  of  treachery,  after  all,  and 
having  found  it  difficult  to  dispose  of  both  his  guests, 
had  taken  this  means  of  enticing  him  away  from  his 
brother,  in  order  to  accomplish  his  purpose  more 
easily. 

But  he  submitted,  and  soon  after  was  told  to  stoop, 
having  done  which  and  at  the  same  time  moved  for 
ward  in  a  crouching  position,  he  found  himself  in 
a  cave,  or  subterranean  passage,  as  he  was  con 
vinced  by  the  dampness  of  the  air.  Half  an  hour 
later  they  emerged  into  daylight  once  more,  and  the 
sound  of  murmuring  waters  below  told  the  blinded 
one  that  they  were  moving  along  the  bank  of  a 
stream.  Then  they  plunged  into  a  thick  wood,  to 
pass  through  which  took  about  an  hour,  Esteban 
guiding  Arthur's  footsteps  carefully  all  the  time. 
The  wood  was  silent,  except  now  and  then  for  the 
shrill  cry  of  an  eagle,  but  when  the  open  was  reached 
beyond  it  a  flood  of  melody  from  the  throats  of 
a  great  number  of  birds  saluted  the  ears  of  the 
travellers. 


300  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

"  Es  el  Paradiso  Indio  —  this  is  Indian  Paradise  — 
at  last,"  said  Esteban,  at  the  same  time  removing  the 
bandage  from  Arthur's  eyes.  "  Look !  is  it  not 
beautiful ;  and  listen  !  do  not  the  birds  sing  joyously  ? 
It  is  but  a  mile,  now,  to  the  palace  of  the  Queen." 

They  were  standing  on  a  low  hill,  at  the  base  of 
which  ran  a  sparkling  stream,  winding  amid  groups 
of  palms  and  bamboo  clumps  over  pebbles  of  glisten 
ing  quartz.  The  vale  outspread  here  was  just  about 
large  enough  to  be  bounded  by  the  vision,  and  was 
terminated  by  the  same  great  walls  that  held  its 
sister  valley  in  their  embrace ;  but  the  scenery  was 
yet  more  pleasing,  with  feathery-foliaged  palms 
crowning  hundreds  of  swelling  knolls,  and  the  inter 
vales,  filled  apparently  with  richest  soil,  in  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  All  the  products  of  the  tropical 
flora  were  here,  both  wild  and  cultivated,  and  their 
mingled  foliage  gave  that  pleasing  diversity  of  aspect 
which  can  be  seen  in  no  other  region  than  the  torrid 
zone. 

Descending  the  hill  and  wading  the  stream,  Este 
ban  led  the  way  to  a  grassy  level  of  many  acres, 
intersected  by  an  avenue  of  royal  palms,  which  came 
down  from  the  mountain  wall  on  the  south  and 
pursued  its  majestic  course  northward  until  finally 
lost  in  distance.  Passing  between  the  column-like 
trunks  of  two  great  palms,  the  travellers  reached  the 
centre  of  the  avenue,  and  facing  about,  Esteban 
directed  his  companion's  attention  southward.  A 


Native  Narcotics  and  Incense.          301 

cry  of  admiration  burst  from  Arthur's  lips  as  he 
looked  ahead,  through  that  long  tunnel  overarched 
by  living  canopies  of  green  and  enclosed  between 
walls  of  ivory-gray  pillars.  For,  at  the  termination 
of  the  mile-long,  ascending  avenue,  where  it  ended 
at  the  valley  wall,  stood  a  massive  structure  of  stone. 
Above  it  towered  the  cloud-reaching  cliffs  of  rose- 
red  quartz,  or  porphyry,  sweeping  around  amphithea 
tre-like,  with  a  fringe  of  forest  at  their  bases,  and 
a  great  knoll  in  front,  verdure  clad  and  palm- 
besprinkled. 

As  yet,  there  were  no  signs  of  human  life,  though 
the  trees  and  shrubbery  were  animate  with  beautiful 
birds  of  choicest  song  and  plumage.  But  as  the 
travellers  hastened  onward,  on  either  hand  appeared 
scattered  huts  of  palm  and  reeds,  embowered  amid 
gardens  rioting  in  luxuriant  vegetation,  with  every 
kind  of  fruit  and  vegetable  found  native  to  this 
island. 

"Where  are  the  people?"  asked  Arthur,  at  last. 
"  I  haven't  seen  a  soul." 

"  Within  their  dwellings,"  replied  Esteban,  briefly. 
"  Until  you  have  seen  the  Queen,  no  one  else  will  be 
visible." 

"  But  I  haven't  heard  a  human  voice.  Not  the 
sound  of  one." 

"  No.  Until  you  hear  the  Queen's  voice,  you  will 
hear  no  other.  When  you  have  heard  the  Queen's, 
you  will  wish  to  hear  no  other !  " 


XXXIII. 

Visions  of  Loveliness. 

ON  and  on  they  went,  Arthur  wondering,  Este- 
ban  dilating  with  pride  and  conscious  power. 
The  sun  shone  through  the  latticed  roof  of  palm 
leaves  overhead,  making  a  golden  pathway  for  them 
as  they  walked.  At  last  they  came  near  to  the 
upper  end  of  this  royal  avenue,  where  it  broadened 
out  and  formed  a  semicircle,  sweeping  around  to 
meet  the  columned  corridors  which  flanked  the 
palace  on  one  side  and  the  other. 

Instead  of  mounting  the  ranges  of  stone  steps  that 
gave  direct  access  to  the  structure  before  them, 
Esteban  turned  off  to  the  right  and  entered  a  palm- 
thatched  house,  long  and  low,  which  stood  within 
a  garden  of  flowers  showing  evidences  of  careful 
culture.  Like  the  other  huts  and  houses  they  had 
seen,  this  one  also  was  silent,  and  when  its  doorway 
had  been  passed  was  found  to  be  tenantless. 

And  yet,  there  were  signs  enough  of  recent 
human  occupancy.  The  floor  of  beaten  clay  was 
strewn  with  fresh  reeds  and  flowers,  two  grass  ham 
mocks  were  suspended  from  the  rafters,  and  across 
each  hammock  had  been  thrown  a  white  robe  made 

302 


Visions  of  Loveliness.  303 

of  silk-cotton.  There  was  but  one  apartment  in  the 
house,  and  the  only  furniture  consisted  of  Indian 
stools  or  benches,  made  of  wood  and  shaped  like 
iguanas  and  alligators,  with  heads  and  tails  erect, 
jewels  for  eyes,  and  broad  backs. 

Depositing  in  a  corner  the  burden  he  had  carried 
all  day  long  so  patiently,  Esteban  told  Arthur  to 
retire  behind  a  screen  of  leaves  hung  at  the  farther 
end  of  the  room,  divest  himself  of  his  dust-stained 
outer  garments,  and  put  on  one  of  the  robes,  which 
he  then  gave  him  for  the  purpose.  He  would  find 
water  in  calabashes  for  laving  his  hands  and  face, 
with  soft  towels  of  native  cotton,  already  supplied. 

Arthur  followed  his  directions,  and  soon  re-ap 
peared  garbed  in  the  robe  of  silk-cotton,  which  was 
as  lustrous  as  satin,  soft  as  down,  and  almost  as  light 
as  cobwebs.  He  found  Esteban  similarly  attired,  and 
holding  in  his  hands  the  Toledos,  one  of  which  he 
gave  him. 

"  This  may  seem  foolish  to  you,"  he  explained, 
"  but  if  you  will  follow  my  directions  a  little  longer, 
you  will  then  be  free  to  do  as  you  please.  In  order 
to  get  my  Queen  to  allow  me  to  present  you,  I  had  to 
inform  her  you  were  here  as  an  ambassador  from  a 
distant  sovereign  —  from  El  Rey  grande  de  los 
Estados  Unidos,  —  from  the  great  King  of  the 
United  States ;  and  as  symbols  of  authority  you 
bore  these  swords,  which  had  been  taken  from  the 
Spaniards,  anciently  enemies  of  her  ancestors,  in 


304  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

personal  combat.  Some  intelligence  of  the  war 
your  people  had  with  the  Spaniards  in  Cuba  has 
reached  her,  but  as  she,  you  know,  cannot  speak  any 
language  but  the  aboriginal  Indian,  she  gets  very 
little  news  of  any  sort.  I  am  her  only  interpreter, 
and  a  very  poor  one.  Ah,  if  you  could  only  speak 
her  language  !  What  a  world  of  spiritual  knowledge 
you  might  unfold  to  this,  my  Queen !  " 

"  No  doubt  I  can  learn,"  answered  Arthur,  eagerly. 
"  Most  gladly  would  I  acquire  her  language,  if  pos 
sible,  in  order  to  find  out  many  things  which  now 
are  hidden  from  me."  He  had  in  mind,  of  course, 
the  secret  of  the  cave,  but  to  his  credit,  let  it  be  said, 
he  also  wished  to  add  to  his  stock  of  general 
knowledge. 

The  old  man  looked  at  him  keenly,  as  though  to 
divine  his  thoughts,  then  shook  his  head  in  his  char 
acteristic  way,  and  went  on  with  his  directions :  — 

"  Take  this  sword,  hold  it  in  front  of  you  when 
you  reach  yonder  steps,  and  walk  forward  with  your 
eyes  cast  down.  Do  not  once  look  up,  but  keep  by 
my  side,  for  not  only  would  I  approach  my  Queen 
with  proper  reverence,  but  if  you  appeared  too  bold 
or  froward  she  might  fly  and  hide  herself." 

Outwardly  calm  and  humble  in  mien,  but  in 
wardly  rebellious  at  the  ridiculous  spectacle  he  was 
making  of  himself,  Arthur  obeyed  his  uncouth  men 
tor  implicitly,  and  with  head  bent  forward  and  eyes 
seeking  the  ground,  walked  by  his  side. 


Visions  of  Loveliness.  305 

They  ascended  the  ranges  of  stone  steps  together, 
entered  the  shadow  of  the  portal,  and  halted.  They 
were  at  the  entrance  of  a  vast  hall,  how  broad,  how 
long,  or  how  high,  Arthur  did  not  venture  then  to 
ascertain.  They  went  forward,  their  footsteps  echo 
ing,  until  finally  they  stood  in  front  of  a  broad  dais 
raised  above  the  floor  by  quite  a  space.  Above  them, 
far  overhead,  was  a  confused  sound  as  of  myriad 
wings,  but  directly  in  front  the  young  man  heard  a 
rustling  like  that  of  silk  or  satin  robes,  and  the  mur 
mur  of  women's  voices. 

Still  he  dared  not  look  up,  and  even  when  he 
heard  Esteban  talking  in  an  unknown  tongue,  he 
kept  his  gaze  on  the  floor.  At  last  the  old  man  con 
cluded  his  speech  of  presentation,  and  after  a  brief 
silence  another  voice,  as  musical  as  running  water 
and  with  a  sweet  cadence  in  it  like  a  wood  dove's 
note,  reached  his  ears.  Soon  it  ceased,  and  he  felt 
Esteban  nudge  him  gently.  "  Look  up,"  he  whis 
pered.  "  My  Queen  has  welcomed  you  to  her  court, 
and  you  must  reply." 

Arthur  looked  up,  for  the  first  time  seeing  what 
was  before  him.  When  he  heard  the  voice,  he  had 
said  to  himself  :  "  That  is  not  an  old  crone  speaking. 
Perhaps  Hart  was  mistaken,  and  the  Queen  may  not 
be  so  very  aged  !  " 

But  he  was  not  prepared  for  the  vision  of  youth 
and  loveliness  that  met  his  gaze  as  he  looked  in  the 
direction  whence  the  voice  had  come.  It  almost  took 


306  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

his  breath  away,  and  the  little  speech  he  had  framed 
to  utter  in  Spanish  died  upon  his  lips.  For  there 
before  him,  about  ten  feet  away,  was  the  most  beauti 
ful  woman  he  had  ever  beheld.  In  truth,  he  had 
never  imagined  one  half  so  beautiful,  far  less  had  he 
met  her.  She  rested  in  a  hollow,  carved  from  the 
living  rock,  clad  in  a  white  robe  of  flossy  silk-cotton, 
gathered  at  the  waist  by  a  golden  girdle;  on  her 
head  a  coronet  of  beaten  gold,  from  beneath  which 
fell  a  flood  of  raven  tresses ;  and  her  eyes,  black  as 
her  hair,  were  deep  and  luminous.  Her  complexion 
was  not  dark,  like  Esteban's,  but  of  a  creamy  hue, 
with  cheeks  like  the  heart  of  a  pomegranate,  and  lips 
coral  red,  between  which  gleamed  ivory-white  teeth, 
showing  in  a  gracious  smile. 

She  was  probably  smiling  at  the  young  man's  con 
fusion  ;  and  yet  there  was  a  startled  look  in  her  eyes, 
and  in  the  eyes  of  the  dozen  dusky  maidens  ranged 
about  her  on  each  side  the  throne.  For  these  maids 
of  honor  formed  a  semicircle,  of  which  the  central 
figure  was  their  Queen,  like  a  beautiful  setting  for  a 
lovelier  picture.  The  whole  scene  was  so  unreal 
that  Arthur  could  hardly  believe  his  senses ;  but  at 
last,  realizing  that  he  was  standing  there  dumb  and 
awkward,  by  a  great  effort  he  gained  his  voice  and 
made  as  eloquent  a  speech  as  possible  under  the  cir 
cumstances.  But  not  until  he  noted  the  mystified 
expression  of  the  Queen's  lovely  face,  and  saw  sev 
eral  of  her  maidens  place  their  fingers  to  their  shell- 


Visions  of  Loveliness.  307 

like  ears  as  if  to  keep  out  the  sound  of  his  voice,  did 
he  realize  that  somehow  he  had  made  a  grave  mis 
take.  He  concluded,  however,  with  a  grand  perora 
tion,  in  which  the  magnitude  of  his  native  country 
was  dilated  upon,  and  the  greatness  of  its  ruler  set 
forth  in  rounded  periods. 

Then  he  turned  to  Esteban  for  the  sword  he  held, 
which  he  was  to  place  with  his  own  and  lay  at  the 
feet  of  the  Queen ;  but  the  Moor  withheld  it,  saying 
in  a  fierce  whisper :  — 

"  What  is  this  unknown  language  you  have  spoken 
in  ?  I  cannot  translate  it.  I  do  not  understand  it. 
Base  boy,  you  have  trifled  with  us  all ;  you  have 
shown  no  reverence  for  my  Queen  !  " 

Arthur  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  Then  he 
suddenly  realized  what  he  had  done :  that  in  his 
confusion  he  had  spoken  in  English  instead  of  Span 
ish,  and  his  fine  speech  was  worse  than  wasted ! 

For  an  instant  he  was  overcome  by  his  emotion, 
but  soon  the  ridiculous  feature  got  uppermost,  and 
he  laughed  aloud.  This  was,  as  it  happened,  the 
one  thing  necessary  to  dispel  the  artificial  air  of 
solemnity  and  ceremony  about  the  affair,  for  his 
laugh  was  followed  by  a  musical  peal  from  the  Queen 
herself,  in  which  her  maidens  were  not  slow  to  join. 
They  were  of  the  kind  that  would  much  rather  look 
sweet  than  sour,  or  even  solemn,  and  gladly  wel 
comed  the  opportunity  for  a  little  fun. 

Not  so  the  Moor,  however,  for  as  master  of  cere- 


308  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

monies  and  general  manager  of  the  court,  he  felt  his 
dignity  offended.  He  seized  the  sword  he  carried 
by  the  hilt,  and  bade  Arthur  take  his  and  defend 
himself.  So  sudden  was  his  onslaught  that  the 
young  man  had  hardly  time  to  throw  himself  on 
guard  when  a  swift  stroke  descended.  He  parried 
it  quickly,  by  a  swift  turn  of  the  wrist,  at  the  same 
time  throwing  himself  backward,  but  it  was  immedi 
ately  followed  by  another.  This  also  he  warded  off, 
for  he  was  an  accomplished  swordsman,  and  he  soon 
found  that  he  could  do  with  Esteban  as  he  wished. 
The  latter  was  perhaps  an  adept  in  the  days  of 
his  youth,  but  his  joints  were  now  rather  stiff,  and 
besides  his  "  play  "  was  antiquated. 

"  Stop,  Esteban,"  cried  Arthur.  "  Do  you  want 
me  to  kill  you  ?  I  can,  and  by  the  powers  I  will,  if 
it  comes  to  either  you  or  me !  Drop  your  sword  and 
hear  me.  See,  your  Queen  motions  to  you  !  " 

Esteban's  blows  were  wildly  delivered  all  this 
time,  and  Arthur  was  kept  busy  dodging  them,  so 
that  his  speech  was  rather  fragmentary ;  but  when 
at  last  the  old  Moor  was  convinced  that  his  Queen 
ordered  him  to  stop,  he  lowered  his  point.  It  was 
done  reluctantly,  however,  not  from  choice,  and  when 
he  again  made  as  though  he  would  take  advantage  of 
the  truce  to  run  his  opponent  through,  Arthur  by  a 
swift,  dexterous  movement  of  his  blade  sent  Esteban's 
Toledo  flying  into  the  air  across  the  hall,  where  it 
fell  with  a  clang  upon  the  pavement. 


"TAKING  THE  TIPS  OF  HER  SLENDER  FINGERS,  ARTHUR  RAISED  THEM  TO 

HIS  LIPS." 


Visions  of  Loveliness.  309 

"  Now,  another  movement  like  that  and  I  will  run 
you  through,"  he  sternly  said,  thoroughly  aroused. 
"If  you  will  not  respect  your  Queen,  then  you 
shall  my  strength.  Remember,  now  !  " 

Esteban  glared  at  him  a  moment,  then  bowed  and 
turned  toward  the  throne,  where,  huddled  together 
like  a  flock  of  frightened  partridges,  the  pretty  brown 
maidens  had  gathered  about  their  mistress.  She 
paid  no  attention,  either  to  them  or  to  Esteban,  but 
throwing  the  bevy  of  maidens  aside,  rose  from  her 
seat,  walked  toward  the  astonished  young  man,  and 
held  out  her  hand.  Taking  the  tips  of  her  slender 
fingers  in  his,  Arthur  raised  them  to  his  lips,  after 
the  manner  which  he  had  read  in  books  of  chivalry 
the  gallant  knights-errant  used  toward  their  liege 
ladies. 

"My!"  he  said  to  himself,  "but  I'm  glad  Hart 
isn't  here  to  see  this.  I  should  never  hear  the  last 
of  it!  But  I  suppose,  though,  this  is  the  proper 
thing  to  do  !  " 

It  seemed  to  have  been  expected,  for  the  lady 
beamed  upon  him  approvingly;  then,  flashing  upon 
poor  Esteban  a  glance  of  scorn,  she  swept  back  to 
her  seat  upon  the  throne. 

Now,  this  was  not  a  happy  state  of  affairs  for 
Arthur,  any  more  than  it  was  agreeable  to  the  Moor, 
for  the  latter  was  the  only  medium  of  communication 
of  the  former  with  the  Queen,  who  could  not  under 
stand  a  word  of  either  Spanish  or  English.  Esteban 


310  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

must  be  propitiated,  of  course,  and  Arthur  set  him 
self  to  the  task  with  all  the  address  he  could  com 
mand.  He  finally  convinced  the  sullen  Moor  that 
his  speech  in  English  was  not  intended  as  an  affront, 
and  offered  to  make  it  over,  as  nearly  as  he  could 
recollect,  in  Spanish,  which  Esteban  would  translate 
to  the  Queen. 

This  offer  was  communicated  to  her  Majesty,  who 
was  gracious  enough  to  signify  her  pleasure  for  them 
to  proceed ;  and  so  the  whole  thing  was  gone  over 
again  almost  word  for  word,  only  in  Spanish  this 
time,  which  Esteban  translated  into  Indian. 

The  Queen  and  her  ladies  of  honor  seemed  very 
much  impressed  with  the  grandeur  of  "  los  Estados 
Unidos  del  Norte  America,  y  el  Rey  grande"  and 
after  the  swords  were  finally  presented  in  due  form, 
the  court  was  declared  adjourned. 


XXXIV. 

Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower. 

WHEN  we  say  the  court  was  declared  adjourned, 
we  mean  to  imply  merely  that  the  proceed 
ings  before  it  came  to  an  end.  There  was  no  formal 
adjournment,  no  bespangled  page  or  equerry  to  blow 
a  trumpet  and  wake  the  echoes  while  he  announced 
it  as  the  pleasure  of  the  Queen  that  the  ceremonies 
should  cease.  No,  indeed.  When  the  presentation 
had  been  made,  there  was  nothing  more  to  do ;  so 
the  Queen  left  her  massive  throne  with  a  sigh  of 
relief,  gave  a  command  to  her  maidens,  and  away 
they  went,  stately  Queen  and  graceful  maids  of 
honor,  trooping  out  toward  the  sunshine. 

The  great  hall  was  dark  and  gloomy.  Outside  the 
sun  shone,  birds  sang,  and  flowers  filled  the  air  with 
perfume ;  but  having  no  orders  to  follow  after,  the 
Moor  and  the  young  American  stood  where  they 
were.  At  the  topmost  step,  however,  the  Queen 
seemed  to  bethink  herself  of  her  guests,  and  sent  a 
maiden  back  to  notify  them  that  it  was  her  pleas 
ure  they  should  meet  her  at  a  kiosk  in  the  garden. 
So  they  followed  after  at  a  respectful  distance,  the 
Moor  and  the  Yankee,  each  thinking  hard  what  he 

3" 


The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

should  do  next,  and  wondering  when  and  how  he 
should  do  it. 

The  Moor,  as  may  have  already  been  made  quite 
apparent,  was  a  capricious  old  fellow.  Just  when  one 
expected  him  to  be  something  or  other,  he  was  pretty 
sure  to  be  something  else.  Arthur  fully  expected 
him  to  be  surly  and  jealous,  now,  owing  to  the  unusual 
attention  that  he  —  Arthur  —  had  received  from  the 
Queen.  But  it  would  seem  from  his  behavior  now 
that  it  was,  of  all  things,  that  which  he  would  have 
chosen  to  happen.  He  was  not  only  cheerful,  but 
actually  overflowing  with  good  spirits.  Instead,  then, 
of  proving  a  veritable  dog  in  the  manger,  as  he  might 
have  done,  he  showed  what  a  really  noble  nature  was 
his,  by  making  himself  particularly  agreeable.  As  they 
walked  out  to  meet  the  ladies,  he  said  to  Arthur :  — 

"  My  boy,  you  have  pleased  my  Queen,  and  I  am 
truly  glad.  Lo,  these  many  moons,  yea,  for  several 
months,  she  has  been  depressed  and  unhappy ;  now, 
as  you  see,  she  is  exhilarated.  Your  coming  has  in 
fused  new  life  into  the  court.  I  never  saw  her  and 
her  maidens  so  light-hearted  and  gay.  It  is  strange, 
too,  for  though  you  are  a  good,  wholesome-looking 
boy,  smooth  of  speech  and  fair  to  look  upon,  there  is 
nothing  really  extraordinary  in  your  appearance." 

"  Perhaps  you  mistake  the  cause  of  it  all,"  answered 
Arthur,  modestly.  "  Perhaps  the  sight  of  the  Toledos 
may  have  awakened  tender  memories,  or  the  informa 
tion  we  imparted  have  aroused  her  soul." 


Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower.  313 

"  True,  it  may  have  been.  At  all  events,  her  leth 
argy  is  broken.  Now,  listen  :  you  will  need  me  as  an 
interpreter,  for  no  word,  either  of  Spanish  or  Eng 
lish,  does  she  understand.  But  not  for  long.  I  will 
give  you  a  few  key  words,  by  which  you  will  soon  find 
the  road  to  conversation,  and  in  a  few  days,  at  most, 
you  will  be  able  to  dispense  with  my  presence.  Her 
language,  as  you  should  know,  is  the  ancient  Arawak, 
once  spoken  in  all  the  islands  of  the  Indies.  If  you 
can  only  master  that,  or  a  portion  of  it,  you  can  easily 
converse  with  her  and  my  people.  It  is  not  hard  to 
learn." 

"Arawak?"  exclaimed  Arthur.  "Why,  I  have  a 
vocabulary  containing  the  principal  words  in  that 
language,  given  me  by  a  learned  professor  before  I 
left  the  States.  It  is  in  a  pocket  of  my  coat,  which 
I  left  in  the  house  where  we  changed  our  garments." 

"Good!"  rejoined  Esteban.  "You  will  not  need 
me  at  all,  perhaps.  I  will  go  get  it  while  you  proceed 
to  the  kiosk,  —  that  little  building  under  the  palms, 
straight  ahead  of  you." 

Esteban  hastened  off  to  find  the  pamphlet,  while 
Arthur  did  as  directed  and  followed  his  nose.  As 
he  neared  the  kiosk  he  heard  the  sound  of  laughter 
coming  forth  from  it,  and  when  he  appeared  at  the 
entrance,  the  Queen  looked  up  with  a  smile  and  in 
vited  him  by  a  gesture  to  seat  himself  by  her  side. 

The  maidens  looked  aghast  at  this  breach  of  royal 
etiquette,  but  they  offered  no  protest  in  words.  In- 


314  The   Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

deed,  when  they  thought  it  over,  they  could  find  no 
precedent,  either,  for  anything  at  all  that  had  hap 
pened  that  day,  since  no  one  had  ever  been  received 
before  at  their  court.  It  was  a  novelty,  and  as  they 
had  been  almost  dying  for  a  novelty,  when  this  young 
man  came  and  gave  them  a  new  sensation,  they  con 
cluded  that  his  advent  was  a  blessing.  At  all  events, 
their  Queen  could  do  no  wrong,  and  as  she  had  in 
vited  him  to  sit  beside  her,  of  course  that  must  be 
right. 

Summoning  all  his  courage,  Arthur  took  the  indi 
cated  seat,  though  he  would  have  preferred  to  stand 
in  her  presence,  and  tried  to  look  unconscious  of  the 
united  gaze,  now  turned  upon  him,  of  thirteen  lovely 
damsels.  Of  course  he  failed  in  this  most  miserably, 
and  in  a  minute  was  blushing  furiously,  despite  his 
brave  attempt  to  look  unconcerned.  If  there  had 
only  been  pockets  of  some  kind  in  that  robe  of  state, 
in  which  he  could  have  hidden  his  hands,  or  if  he 
could  have  spoken  even  a  single  word  to  the  Queen, 
in  any  language  whatever,  his  dreadful  embarrassment 
might  have  been  somewhat  relieved. 

But  the  Queen  and  her  maidens  did  not  understand 
a  sensation  they  had  never  experienced,  as  they  were 
so  simple  and  direct  that  the  thought  of  confusion  or 
embarrassment  never  entered  their  minds.  When, 
therefore,  they  saw  the  red  blood  streak  the  young 
man's  cheeks,  their  curiosity  was  greatly  excited. 
Her  own  cheeks  and  those  of  her  maidens  were  as 


Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower.          315 

plump  and  fruity-hued  as  a  mango,  with  a  rich  blush 
that  rarely  changed,  and  she  was  puzzled.  She  held 
out  both  hands  with  a  helpless  gesture,  and  as  she 
did  so  could  not  but  notice  the  difference  between 
them  and  his ;  her  own,  though  so  shapely  and  slen 
der,  being  golden  brown  in  hue,  while  his  showed 
white,  and  the  blue  veins  could  be  traced  through  all 
the  tan. 

This  fact  formed  another  theme  for  speculation, 
and  drew  attention  anew  to  the  hapless  Arthur,  when 
finally,  to  his  great  comfort,  the  situation  was  relieved 
by  the  appearance  of  Esteban  with  the  book. 

As  he  explained  what  it  was  to  the  Queen,  her  in 
terest  was  at  once  excited  and  she  seized  it  eagerly. 
She  presumably  had  never  seen  a  printed  page 
before,  and  when  told  that  every  word  had  a  mean 
ing  and  that  her  own  language  was  by  these  words 
made  intelligible  to  the  stranger,  her  wonder  and 
enthusiasm  knew  no  bounds. 

Nor  were  the  maidens  less  wonderstruck  than  their 
Queen,  for  the  mere  fact  that  a  spoken  speech  could 
be  preserved  in  letters  and  fixed  forever  in  type  was 
also  new  to  them,  apparently. 

They  gathered  close  around  while  Arthur,  now  no 
longer  embarrassed,  since  he  had  something  to  fix 
his  attention,  played  the  rdle  of  schoolmaster  to  this 
band  of  grown-up  children. 

Esteban  acted  as  interpreter,  at  first,  in  order  to  set 
the  wheel  of  knowledge  going  round,  then  quietly 


316  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

slipped  away  and  left  the  young  schoolmaster  to  his 
own  resources.  The  latter  did  not  notice  his  depar 
ture,  so  absorbed  was  he  in  his  new  vocation,  neither 
probably  did  any  of  his  pupils.  All  eyes  were  fixed  on 
the  book,  only  to  be  removed  when  it  was  necessary 
to  seek  some  object,  inside  the  kiosk  or  out,  for  which 
a  name  was  desired,  or  as  a  means  of  comparison. 

Lightly  touching  the  robe  the  Queen  had  on, 
Arthur  desired  her  to  give  its  name.  He  could  not 
ask  the  question  in  words,  but  she  readily  divined 
his  meaning,  and  answered  at  once.  Then  other 
objects  were  named,  the  Queen  giving  the  Arawak 
and  Arthur  the  Spanish,  or  English,  both  turning  to 
the  book  for  the  equivalent  words,  thus  fixing  them 
in  memory.  It  was  in  this  manner  that  they  soon 
came  to  a  common  ground  for  understanding.  The 
Arawak  for  a  hut  or  house  was  "  bokio"  for  the 
country  of  the  Queen's  ancestors,  "  Quisqutya"  by 
which  all  the  western  part  of  Santo  Domingo  was 
known.  When  the  Queen  saw  Arthur  turn  to  the 
word  in  print  and  pronounce  it  correctly  before 
she  had  told  him  how,  she  was  surprised  beyond 
measure. 

She  chatted  awhile  with  her  maidens,  then  turned 
to  the  master  and  pointing  to  herself  said,  "  Ana-ca- 
o-na."  Arthur  bowed  low,  and  turning  to  the  vocabu 
lary  found  the  word  and  its  meaning,  "  Anacaona,  or 
the  Golden  Flower — Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower." 
The  Queen  had  meant  to  tell  him  that  her  name  was 


Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower.          317 

Anacaona,  and  he  had  shown  her  not  only  that  her 
name  was  in  his  vocabulary,  but  that  it  signified  in 
English  the  Golden  Flower,  in  Spanish,  "  Flor  del 
Oro  !  " 

On  receipt  of  this  information  the  Queen  was 
greatly  excited.  She  rose,  and  pacing  up  and  down 
declaimed  to  her  maidens  in  musical  speech  some 
thing  Arthur  could  not  understand,  but  the  purport 
of  which  he  could  readily  guess.  Many  days  after 
ward,  when  they  had  progressed  further,  the  Queen 
told  Arthur  the  story,  which  he  had  already  divined 
and  which  for  the  sake  of  continuity  will  be  narrated 
now. 

She  bore  a  historic  name.  The  first  Anacaona 
ever  known  to  Europeans  was  the  sister  of  Caonabo, 
the  chief  whose  fortunes  we  have  followed  now  and 
then  already.  She  was  married  to  a  cacique  named 
Behechio,  who  lived  on  the  side  of  the  mountains  far 
distant  from  the  first  settlements  founded  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  so  for  a  few  years  after  their  arrival 
was  exempt  from  disturbance  by  them.  But  the  time 
came,  and  it  was  just  after  Columbus  had  been  sent 
home  to  Spain  from  this  island  in  chains,  that  Be 
hechio  was  hounded  down  and  murdered. 

Don  Bartholomew,  the  noble  brother  of  Christopher 
Columbus,  who  was  "  Adelantado  "  of  Santo  Domingo, 
had  charge  of  all  matters  while  the  Admiral  was  away. 
In  his  marches  about  the  island  to  keep  his  own 
people,  the  Spaniards,  in  subjection,  he  encountered 


3 1 8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  forces  sent  out  by  Behechio's  widow  to  oppose  the 
invaders.  As  he  had  no  evil  intention  toward  them, 
Don  Bartholomew  marched  into  the  town  where 
Anacaona  resided,  and  was  received  by  her  in  great 
state.  He  and  his  soldiers  were  feasted  and  enter 
tained  with  Indian  games,  and  when  they  finally 
parted  from  their  new-found  friends  it  was  with  feel 
ings  of  good-will  on  either  side. 

Anacaona  was  a  tall  and  stately  dame,  handsome 
and  hospitable.  Don  Bartholomew  was  a  soldier, 
every  inch  of  him,  honest  and  dignified,  and  one  who 
could  appreciate  beauty  and  goodness  at  its  full 
worth.  So  it  was  not  long  before  he  paid  another 
visit  to  the  Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower,  and  was, 
if  possible,  even  more  pleasantly  entertained.  It  was 
on  his  return  from  this  second  visit  that  he  was  met 
by  messengers  from  the  new  governor,  who  had  been 
sent  out  by  King  Ferdinand,  who  ordered  him  to 
report  forthwith  at  the  capital.  Arrived  there,  Don 
Bartholomew  found  his  brother  Christopher  in  prison, 
where  he  himself  soon  joined  him,  and  soon  after 
ward  both  were  sent  home  to  Spain  in  chains. 

The  new  governor  was  superseded  by  another,  the 
ever  infamous  Nicolas  de  Ovando,  who  was  a  knight 
of  high  degree  but  at  the  same  time  the  most  mur 
derous  scoundrel  that  ever  came  from  Spain  to  the 
shores  of  America.  Learning  that  Anacaona  had 
entertained  Don  Bartholomew  Columbus,  he  became 
suspicious  of  her  at  once,  and  set  out  to  punish  her. 


Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower.          319 

When  she  heard  of  his  coming,  she  set  forth  the 
same  sort  of  entertainment  she  had  given  Don  Bar 
tholomew,  invited  him  to  a  banquet,  and  feasted  him 
and  all  his  soldiers.  But,  when  the  feasting  was  at 
its  height,  this  bloodthirsty  Spaniard  gave  a  pre 
arranged  signal  to  his  soldiers,  and  they  fell  upon 
the  unsuspicious  Indians  so  fiercely  that  nearly  all 
were  slaughtered  without  offering  any  resistance  at 
all.  Queen  Anacaona  herself  was  seized  and  bound, 
taken  to  the  capital  and  burned  alive,  on  a  spot 
where  a  statue  of  herself  and  Columbus  may  be  seen 
to-day. 

These  are  the  historical  facts  about  the  original 
Anacaona,  "Queen  of  the  Golden  Flower,"  whose 
descendant  the  beautiful  maiden  found  by  Arthur 
hidden  away  in  the  mountains  of  the  island  claimed 
to  be.  She  was  perhaps  a  queen  or  princess  only  in 
name,  and  one  with  very  few  subjects  to  do  her 
honor ;  but  she  was  lovely  enough,  Arthur  thought, 
both  in  appearance  and  character,  to  merit  more  than 
an  insignificant  kingdom  in  the  midst  of  a  wilder 
ness,  like  the  one  she  ruled  over  when  he  discovered 
her. 


XXXV. 

A  Royal  Road  to  Learning. 

THAT  was  certainly  a  royal  road  to  learning 
along  which  Arthur  and  his  pupils  were  trav 
elling  at  such  a  rapid  pace. 

Before  the  day  was  ended  they  had  come  to  quite 
a  good  understanding  as  to  many  of  the  objects  with 
which  at  noon  neither  had  a  mutual  acquaintance.  It 
may  have  been  owing  to  the  fact  that  these  maidens 
were  by  nature  receptive  and  that  they  had  so  long 
been  deprived  of  mental  food.  They  were  as  crea 
tures  starving  for  intellectual  nourishment,  and  they 
absorbed  with  great  avidity  every  mite  that  was  put 
before  them.  Beginning,  as  we  have  seen,  with  the 
objects  immediately  at  hand,  the  master  extended  his 
excursions  little  by  little,  until  not  only  nouns  but 
verbs  and  adjectives  became  the  subjects  of  their 
attacks. 

Without  going  so  far  into  the  subject  that  there 
may  be  danger  of  getting  beyond  our  depth,  let  us 
take  one  or  two  examples  in  the  word-building  system 
by  which  the  young  master  and  his  pupils  came  to  a 
common  plane  of  conversation.  It  must  be  remem 
bered,  in  the  first  place,  that  the  really  essential  words 

320 


A  Royal  Road  to  Learning.  321 

in  any  language  —  that  is,  the  words  essential  to  the 
carrying  on  of  a  simple  conversation  and  express 
ing  actual  needs  —  are  comparatively  few  in  number. 
Some  writers  say  a  thousand  will  do,  others  even 
declare  they  can  get  along  with  a  few  hundred. 

Now,  for  example,  there  was  the  word  Bo-he-chioy 
which  was  derived  from  bot  meaning  "  great "  ;  kec, 
a  "chief"  or  "sovereign";  and  hio,  a  "country": 
Bohechio,  "the  ruler  over  a  great  country."  The 
Queen's  name  was  formed  from  Ana,  a  "flower,"  and 
caona,  "fine  gold":  Anacaona,  "the  flower  of  fine 
gold." 

Likewise  the  name  of  Caonabo,  the  brother  of  her 
remote  ancestor,  was  derived  from  Caona,  "  fine  gold," 
and  bo,  a  "  chief  "  or  "  cacique."  So  we  have  from 
this  Caonabo,  "  the  golden  cacique,"  or  as  some  have 
translated  it,  "  Chief  of  the  Golden  House."  Which 
ever  way  we  read,  the  words  mean  that  he  was  lord 
over  a  golden  treasure;  and  this  again  leads  us  up 
to  the  object  which  the  young  men  had  in  sight  when 
they  first  started  out  on  their  adventures.  So  now, 
link  by  link,  the  chain  was  being  forged  by  which 
Arthur  hoped  to  draw  that  golden  treasure  from  its 
hiding-place  in  these  very  mountains. 

When  in  the  course  of  their  study  they  came  to 
such  words  as  these,  the  Queen  would  launch  forth 
into  a  little  speech,  of  which  only  a  word  was  now 
and  then  intelligible  to  Arthur ;  but  from  her  gestures 
he  knew  that  it  was  of  that  very  treasure  she  was 


322  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

speaking,  for  she  pointed  toward  the  mountain  wall 
back  of  them,  and  mentioned  the  words  for  gold  and 
Caonabo  several  times.  He  "  kept  track"  of  all 
these  straws  that  might  show  him  the  drift  of  the 
current,  and  a  few  days  later  —  as  we  shall  see  — 
gathered  them  into  a  chain  of  evidence  that  led  him 
straight  into  the  veritable  cavern  holding  the  cacique's 
gold. 

After  several  hours  of  work,  and  when  at  last  the 
sun  was  sinking  toward  the  horizon,  the  pretty  stu 
dents  showed  signs  of  weariness.  There  were  many 
half-stifled  yawns  on  the  part  of  the  maids  of  honor, 
and  even  the  eager  Queen  could  no  longer  keep  her 
attention  to  the  task.  So,  when  Arthur  noticed  it,  he 
concluded  to  bring  the  lesson  to  an  end  with  two 
words  which  he  knew  would  touch  sympathetic 
chords.  One  was  "  areito"  the  name  for  the  ancient 
Indian  songs,  and  the  other  "  diumba"  an  indigenous 
dance. 

As  he  uttered  them  the  Queen  rose  and  gave  a  sig 
nal.  Standing  in  the  centre  of  the  kiosk,  with  her 
maidens  ranged  around  her  in  a  circle,  she  started  a 
chant,  the  refrain  of  which  they  took  up  at  intervals, 
keeping  time  to  their  rhythmic  measures  by  a  slow- 
stepping  dance.  The  music  was  a  wild,  weird  melody 
of  unearthly  sweetness,  and  as  it  died  away  left  a 
haunting  impression  of  unutterable  sadness.  The 
areito  was  the  ancient  Indian  chant  to  their  gods, 
whom  they  imagined  dwelt  in  a  vast  cavern,  —  prob-- 


A  Royal   Road  to   Learning.  323 

ably  the  very  one  by  which  the  boys  had  entered  the 
valley,  —  and  of  whom  they  made  little  images  which 
they  called  "  zemes"  and  worshipped  as  their  repre 
sentatives.  The  Indian  ancestors  of  the  Queen  had 
no  conception  of  the  true  God,  who  reigns  supreme 
in  the  heavens,  maker  of  all  created  things ;  and  it 
was  probable,  Arthur  thought,  that  Anacaona  still 
shared  their  erroneous  beliefs  in  the  efficacy  of 
appeals  to  images  of  wood  and  stone.  When  his 
knowledge  of  her  language  should  be  sufficient  for 
the  purpose,  he  vowed  to  himself  he  would  find  out 
the  true  status  of  her  religious  belief,  and  if  possible 
set  her  right  in  the  matter  as  it  seemed  right  to  him. 

But  the  dance  and  song  were  ended.  While  the 
weary  maidens  waited,  the  Queen  extended  her  hand 
to  Arthur  and  thanked  him  for  his  endeavors  to 
enlighten  her  ignorance,  promising  to  renew  the 
meeting  on  the  morrow.  He  did  not  understand  all 
she  said,  and  it  was  mainly  through  her  keen  intui 
tion  that  she  grasped  his  meaning  when  he  stammered 
something  about  being  obliged  to  return  early  the 
next  day  to  his  brother.  She  knew  he  had  a  brother, 
for  Esteban  had  told  her ;  and  he  knew  and  used  the 
Arawak  term  for  brother,  so  she  readily  guessed  the 
rest. 

To  reassure  him  she  said,  "  Esteban  —  go  —  to-mor 
row,  come  —  brother." 

Arthur's  look  of  alarm  disconcerted  her  for  a  mo 
ment,  but  she  added,  *'  Esteban  ni-ta-i-no  —  good  per- 


324  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

son,"  and  nodded  her  pretty  head  emphatically. 
Then  she  said,  "Till  to-morrow,"  and  pointing  to  a 
small  boy,  who  had  come  noiselessly  into  the  kiosk 
meanwhile,  she  walked  away,  followed  by  her  train. 

Arthur  understood,  of  course,  that  the  boy  was  to 
be  his  guide,  or  valet,  and  when  he  beckoned  went 
after  him  without  a  word.  The  youngster  led  the 
way  to  a  thatched  hut  within  a  garden,  and  standing 
aside  at  the  entrance  bade  him  enter.  Within  he 
found  a  hammock  swung,  a  dim  light  fitfully  gleam 
ing  from  a  torch  of  gum  wood,  and  a  table  set  for  him 
with  every  viand  known  to  the  Indian  cuisine. 

His  little  valet,  who  was  about  ten  years  old,  nearly 
naked  as  to  costume,  and  shapely  as  a  cupid,  antici 
pated  every  want,  and  when  the  meal  was  over 
cleared  away  the  table,  set  the  house  in  order,  and 
then  signified  that  unless  required  further  he  would 
go.  Arthur  tried  to  make  friends  and  talk  with  him, 
but  the  child  was  as  timid  as  a  fawn,  and  when  he 
saw  that  no  further  service  was  actually  required  of 
him,  took  to  his  heels  and  disappeared. 

So  Arthur  was  left  alone  to  reflect  upon  the 
strange  occurrences  of  the  day.  So  strange,  indeed, 
they  seemed  but  the  disordered  fancies  of  a  dream, 
rather  than  the  sober  happenings  of  wakeful  hours. 
The  thought  uppermost,  however,  was  of  his  brother. 
What  had  happened  to  him,  while  he  was  basking  in 
the  favor  of  the  Queen  and  her  court?  He  re 
proached  himself  with  thoughtlessness,  and  when 


A  Royal  Road  to  Learning.  325 

he  recalled  the  silent  slipping  away  of  the  Moor,  so 
evidently  desirous  of  escaping  without  attracting  his 
attention,  his  heart  sank  within  him,  for  he  feared  he 
might  yet  prove  treacherous. 

Still,  the  Queen  was  honest,  pure  as  daylight, 
sweet  as  sunlight,  and  she  had  assured  him  in  effect 
that  no  harm  should  come  to  Hartley ;  in  fact,  that 
she  herself  had  sent  for  him.  And  thus,  with  his 
last  waking  thoughts  of  these  two,  Arthur  finally  fell 
asleep,  and  when  he  awoke  the  birds  were  singing 
their  matins. 

Little-  Cupid  was  on  hand  to  conduct  Arthur  to 
the  bath,  which  was  in  a  pool  of  pearl-tinted  water 
beneath  a  palm,  where  a  gurgling  brook  ran  slowly 
between  the  bamboo  banks  at  the  foot  of  the  garden. 
While  his  master  was  in  the  water  Cupid  climbed  a 
palm  tree  and  threw  down  some  cocoanuts.  Then 
he  descended,  cut  off  the  end  of  a  nut  with  a  big 
knife,  and  presented  it  to  Arthur  with  its  ivory  cup 
filled  with  a  cool  and  delicious  liquid  that  he  drank 
with  pleasure.  Speeding  ahead  of  him  to  the  hut, 
the  boy  had  a  cup  of  coffee  awaiting  Arthur  when 
he  arrived,  and  also  a  calabash  piled  high  with  fruits. 
There  were  all  sorts,  such  as  oranges,  pineapples, 
custard  apples,  mangos,  guavas,  and  sapadillas, 
which  grew  in  the  gardens  everywhere  and  were 
so  abundant  that  many  were  never  gathered  at  all, 
and  so  went  to  waste. 

Arthur  had  hoped  for  some  news  of  his  brother  by 


326  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

this  time.  But  the  morning  went  and  noon  drew 
nigh,  and  still  no  tidings,  good  or  bad.  He  felt  that 
he  would  have  gone  to  him,  if  he  had  but  known  the 
way ;  but  that  interval  which  he  had  traversed  blind 
folded  it  was  impossible  for  him  now  to  bridge. 
Esteban  may  have  been  merely  taking  ordinary  pre 
cautions  in  observing  so  much  secrecy,  but  it  would 
appear  that  there  was  a  method  in  all  he  did.  If 
Arthur  had  but  known,  something  was  transpiring 
over  the  ridge  that  was  to  affect  all  his  future  and 
bring  about  a  change  of  fortune  which  was  to  decide 
his  destiny.  But  he  knew  only  that  Esteban  came 
not,  and  no  message  from  Hartley  reached  him  that 
forenoon. 

It  was  with  a  sad  heart,  and  oppressed  by  many 
forebodings,  that  he  obeyed  a  command  from  the 
Queen  and  met  her  and  the  maidens  in  the  kiosk. 
They  were  merry,  at  all  events,  and  their  high  spirits 
were  infectious,  particularly  when  the  Queen  shook 
her  head  at  sight  of  his  gloomy  countenance  and 
bade  him  be  of  good  cheer. 

"  He  will  come,"  she  said.  "  He  will  come,"  the 
merry  maidens  repeated ;  although  it  is  doubtful  if 
they  understood  what  they  said. 

The  lessons  dragged  wearily  that  day,  and  at  last 
the  Queen  perceived  that  her  teacher's  thoughts  were 
far  away,  and  in  order  to  divert  him  proposed  a 
ramble  through  the  groves.  Arthur  had  expressed 
wonder  that  he  had  seen  so  few  people  in  the  valley, 


A  Royal  Road  to  Learning.  327 

and  she  said  playfully  she  would  show  him  some. 
So  they  trooped  along,  a  merry,  chattering  band, 
visiting  house  after  house,  and  the  young  man  was 
surprised  to  find  every  one  filled  with  smiling  women 
and  children,  subjects  of  the  Queen,  who,  the  moment 
she  appeared,  prostrated  themselves  before  her,  their 
faces  to  the  ground. 

She  raised  them  all,  every  one,  with  words  of  cheer, 
and  laughingly  bade  them  proceed  with  their  em 
ployments.  Some  were  weaving  wonderful  blankets 
and  scarfs  of  wool  and  cotton  on  primitive  looms, 
some  were  making  pottery,  which  others  were  adorn 
ing  with  strange  figures,  others  were  working  as  gold 
smiths  and  evoking  forms  of  plants  and  animals  from 
the  precious  metal  with  blowpipes  and  fires  of  char 
coal.  Out  in  the  fields  and  in  the  gardens,  men  and 
boys  were  cultivating  the  soil,  using  no  other  instru 
ments  than  sharp  sticks  for  ploughs  and  hoes.  All 
were  busy,  all  quiet,  and  without  an  exception  all 
seemed  happy  and  contented. 

What  particularly  struck  Arthur  as  very  strange 
was  the  universal  youthfulness  of  all,  for  there  seemed 
to  be  no  old  people  in  the  valley.  Some  might  have 
reached  middle  age,  and  many  others  were  appar 
ently  in  their  teens,  but  there  were  no  aged  persons. 
Arthur  tried  to  explain  to  the  Queen  his  astonish 
ment  at  this,  but  either  she  had  become  accustomed 
to  the  fact,  or  else  she  could  not  understand  him,  for 
he  got  no  satisfaction  from  her.  She  had  left  off 


328  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

her  golden  coronet,  and  her  wealth  of  black  tresses 
was  adorned  merely  with  brilliant  flowers,  which,  if 
possible,  enhanced  her  rare  beauty  and  made  her 
seem  more  youthful  than  she  appeared  the  day  be 
fore.  But  for  her  stately  mien,  and  the  look  of  com 
mand  in  her  eyes  which  was  ever  present,  even  when 
she  smiled,  she  might  have  been  taken  for  one  of 
her  own  maids  of  honor,  as  she  tripped  so  daintily 
about  with  sandalled  feet. 


XXXVI. 

The  Cacique's  Treasure  at  Last. 

THOUGH  the  students  were  afield,  their  lessons 
were  being  studied  just  the  same.  Their 
open  book  was  Nature,  and  from  its  pages  they  read 
as  they  ran. 

A  plant  grew  in  a  garden  near  the  avenue  through 
which  they  were  passing.  It  had  broad,  velvety 
leaves  and  was  a  conspicuous  object,  even  amongst 
so  much  strange  vegetation.  One  of  the  maids 
pointed  to  it,  and  said  to  Arthur,  "  Coiba"  and  an 
other  said  "  Tabaco"  rubbing  her  palms  together  as 
if  rolling  the  leaves  between  them.  By  this,  of 
course,  Arthur  understood  that  it  was  the  tobacco 
plant,  the  use,  or  abuse,  of  which  the  Indians  knew 
centuries  ago.  "  Pipa,  cachimbo"  said  the  Queen, 
pursing  up  her  coral  lips  as  if  puffing  out  smoke,  and 
looking  at  the  young  man  roguishly.  This  was 
meant  to  imply  that  the  tobacco  was  smoked  in  a 
pipe  —  Indian,  cachimbo  —  a  pipe  with  a  double  stem, 
like  the  letter  Y. 

Many  names  which  they  gave  him  as  those  of 
plants  and  trees,  and  which  they  derived  from  their 

329 


33°  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

ancestors,  are  those  by  which  they  are  known  in 
some  parts  of  the  civilized  world  to-day.  Among 
these  are  the  cacao,  or  cocoa  tree,  from  which  the 
chocolate  bean  is  obtained ;  caoban,  or  mahogany ; 
coco,  or  cocoa  palm ;  ceiba,  or  silk-cotton ;  aji,  or 
red  pepper ;  guaba,  or  guava  fruit,  from  which 
the  delicious  jelly  is  made;  guayabo,  a  forest  tree; 
yucca,  an  edible  root ;  cana,  a  reed,  etc.  In  this 
manner,  by  taking  object  lessons  out  of  Nature's 
open  book,  as  already  stated,  these  students  acquired 
and  conveyed  information  of  mutual  interest. 

But  still,  notwithstanding  the  Queen's  attempt  to 
interest  her  guest,  the  anxious  look  on  his  face  did 
not  quite  disappear.  Her  sympathetic  nature  could 
not  endure  this  longer  without  means  of  expressing 
her  deep  concern,  and  she  strove  to  find  some  word 
or  words  to  convey  her  feelings.  If  she  could  have 
found  those  words  there  is  no  doubt  she  would  have 
offered  him  the  half  of  her  kingdom,  if  only  he  would 
have  been  made  happy  thereby.  As  they  walked 
along  the  royal  avenue,  above  them  the  o'erarching 
fronds  of  the  palms,  in  front  the  towering  palace 
walls,  the  Queen  hung  her  head  in  thought.  At  last 
she  threw  it  back  with  a  rapid  movement  that  sent 
her  tresses  rippling  to  her  waist,  and  commanding 
Arthur's  attention  by  a  glance  said  to  him  :  — 

"  Caona,  Cacique  Behechio  Caonabo,  bohio"  at  the 
same  time  pointing  in  the  direction  of  the  palace. 
What  she  meant  to  convey  was :  "  There  is  the 


The  Cacique's  Treasure  at  Last.        331 

house  containing  the  golden  treasures  of  Caciques 
Caonabo  and  Behechio." 

She  watched  eagerly  his  change  of  expression,  and 
noted  with  satisfaction  the  brightening  of  his  eyes 
and  his  heightened  color.  He  was  no  longer  list 
less  or  distrait,  but  wide  awake  and  alert.  "  Come, 
then,"  she  said  in  Arawak,  and  seizing  one  of  his 
hands.  "  If  only  that  is  necessary  to  make  you 
happy,  it  shall  be  yours." 

He  did  not  understand  her  words,  but  there  was 
no  mistaking  the  meaning,  for  her  beautiful  face  was 
eloquent  with  a  generous  impulse.  Arthur  laughed 
for  the  first  time  that  day,  as  he  found  himself  borne 
forward  by  the  Queen  and  her  maidens  in  their  im 
petuous  charge  upon  the  palace.  In  a  few  moments 
they  were  waking  the  echoes  of  the  great  corridor 
with  the  patter  of  their  feet  and  the  sound  of  their 
voices.  They  traversed  the  hall,  which  Arthur  now 
saw  was  not  of  man's  handiwork,  but  of  Nature's 
forming,  being  the  vast  vestibule  to  a  cavern.  The 
columns  were  stalactites  and  stalagmites,  some  of 
them  almost  translucent  and  wonderfully  regular  in 
their  arrangement.  Even  the  throne,  which  in  his 
confusion  of  the  day  before  Arthur  would  have 
sworn  was  carved  from  ivory  or  alabaster,  was  a 
natural  formation,  though  it  had  been  rough-hewn 
into  shape  by  some  aboriginal  sculptor.  The  Queen 
laughed  merrily  as  she  saw  him  gazing  at  the  now 
vacant  seat  which  she  had  graced  with  her  presence 


332  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  day  before,  and  at  a  signal  her  maids  ranged 
themselves  around  on  either  side,  as  she  sank  grace 
fully  into  it. 

The  wall  seemed  solid  behind  them  and  Arthur 
was  wondering  where  the  entrance  to  the  cavern  was 
situated,  when  at  another  sign  the  maids  dispersed, 
and  the  Queen  beckoned  him  to  come  to  her.  First, 
however,  she  requested  him  to  take  up  the  swords, 
which  were  lying  where  they  had  been  left  the  day 
before,  and  fetch  them  with  him.  As  he  neared  the 
throne  the  Queen  held  out  her  hand,  and  he  assisted 
her  to  rise,  not  forgetting  a  respectful  salute,  such  as 
he  had  bestowed  when  she  so  graciously  extended 
her  fingers  after  he  had  overcome  Esteban  in  the 
sword  play  of  the  preceding  day. 

She  insisted  on  carrying  one  of  the  swords  herself, 
made  him  take  the  other,  and  thus  equipped  they 
went  behind  the  throne,  where  an  opening  was  re 
vealed  large  enough  for  them  to  enter  while  standing 
almost  erect.  Stepping  aside,  the  Queen  motioned 
Arthur  to  lead  the  way,  which  he  did,  soon  finding 
himself  within  a  room  of  goodly  dimensions,  but  not 
so  large  as  the  hall  without.  It  was  rather  dark 
there,  and  after  the  maids  had  come  in  the  Queen 
ordered  them  to  bring  out  some  torches,  which  were 
stacked  up  in  a  corner  of  the  cavern.  They  were 
made  of  fragrant  gums,  wrapped  in  bark  bound  about 
with  withes,  and  near  them  was  a  pile  of  flints,  with 
which  the  girls  attempted  to  strike  fire  for  the  pur- 


The  Cacique's  Treasure  at  Last.        333 

pose  of  lighting  them.  When  Arthur  saw  their  piti 
ful  efforts  to  bring  fire  from  the  flints,  he  drew  from 
his  pocket  a  silver  match-box  and  quickly  lighted  one 
of  the  torches  before  they  were  aware  of  what  he  was 
doing. 

When  finally  they  understood  that  he  had  brought 
fire  from  a  small  bit  of  stick,  they  crowded  around  in 
wonder,  for  they  had  never  seen  a  match  before  and 
were  lost  in-  amazement.  He  could  not  do  otherwise 
than  present  the  box  to  the  Queen,  and  she  received 
it  with  the  unfeigned  pleasure  that  a  child  might  have 
manifested  in  a  new  toy.  Nothing  would  satisfy  her 
and  those  other  simple  children  of  nature  but  experi 
menting  with  the  matches,  until  nearly  all  had  been 
lighted,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  Arthur  per 
suaded  them  to  keep  a  few  for  emergencies,  as  he 
had  no  others  with  him,  and  they  might  be  needed 
before  they  got  through  with  their  investigation. 
The  Queen  pouted  prettily,  for  she  was  used  to  hav 
ing  her  own  way,  and  she  did  not  see*  why,  if  the 
lighting  of  the  matches  pleased  her,  she  should  not 
use  them  up. 

However,  after  this  diversion  the  torches  were 
finally  lighted,  and  they  all  went  toward  the  back 
part  of  the  room.  There,  indeed,  a  sight  met  their 
eyes  that  drew  an  exclamation  of  astonishment  and 
delight  from  the  young  man;  for,  ranged  against 
the  wall,  on  natural  shelves  one  above  another,  were 
hundreds  and  perhaps  thousands  of  objects,  appar- 


334  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

ently  of  solid  gold.  There  were  images  of  birds  and 
monkeys,  uncouth  deities  with  arms  extended  and 
mouths  agape,  some  more  than  two  feet  in  height, 
and  besides  these  there  were  great  nuggets,  as  well 
as  heaps  of  gold  in  flakes  and  grains.  The  golden 
grains  were  heaped  up  like  corn  in  a  granary,  and, 
with  the  nuggets,  shimmering  masses  of  precious 
metal,  probably  aggregated  more  than  three  million 
dollars  in  value. 

Now  it  was  the  Queen's  turn  to  laugh,  when 
Arthur,  astonished  at  the  spectacle,  turned  to  her 
and  asked  if  it  were  really  gold  those  objects  were 
made  of,  and  if  those  heaps  were  also  gold  all 
through,  or  only  on  the  surface. 

"  Caona  —  fine  gold,"  answered  the  Queen,  with 
a  merry  ripple  of  laughter.  "  Why  not  ?  This  is  the 
treasure  of  Caonabo  and  Behechio.  It  was  theirs ; 
it  is  mine."  She  told  him  to  plunge  his  hand  into 
one  of  the  heaps  and  he  then  would  be  convinced. 
But  he  took  her  word  for  it  and  refused,  so  at  her 
command  one  of  the  maidens  thrust  her  little  brown 
hand  into  a  glistening  heap  until  her  arm  was  elbow 
deep,  and  withdrew  it  with  sparkling  flakes  attached, 
as  similar  ones  were  to  the  hoops  of  the  Spaniards 
water  casks  in  the  Rio  del  Oro,  four  hundred  years 
before. 

The  Queen  prodded  some  of  the  images  with  her 
sword,  and  they  came  rattling  down  from  their 
perches,  where  they  had  probably  sat  hundreds  of 


The  Cacique's  Treasure  at  Last.        335 

years,  with  such  a  musically  metallic  tinkle  that 
Arthur  was  convinced  they  were,  as  she  said,  gold 
of  the  finest  quality. 

He  took  up  the  deposed  deities  with  great  care 
and  set  them  back  in  their  places,  handling  them 
almost  reverently,  —  not  so  much  for  what  they  rep 
resented  as  images,  but  for  their  intrinsic  worth. 

How  he  wished  Hartley  could  have  been  there  to 
see  this  display  of  wealth,  to  feast  his  eyes  on  the 
departed  caciques'  treasures,  which  at  last  had  been 
so  strangely  revealed.  He  asked  the  Queen  if  he 
might  not  take  a  few  of  the  smaller  objects  out  to 
show  his  brother  when  they  should  meet  again,  and 
when  at  last  she  understood  the  purport  of  his  re 
quest,  she  said,  with  a  shrug  of  indifference  :  "  Cer 
tainly,  take  them  all.  This  treasure  once  belonged 
to  my  ancestors ;  they  are  dead  ;  it  is  now  mine  - 
it  was  mine  —  but  now  it  is  yours,  for  I  give  it  to 
you ! " 

"  Give  it  to  me  ?  "  exclaimed  Arthur,  when  after  a 
while  he  comprehended  fully  what  she  had  said. 
"  Give  this  treasure  to  me  ?  No,  no.  I  have  done 
nothing  to  earn  it.  Why  should  you  ?  " 

Why  should  she,  indeed  ?  And  yet  his  blood 
tingled  at  the  possibilities,  the  potentialities,  implied 
by  the  possession  of  so  much  wealth.  There  was 
gold  enough  here  to  erect  a  model  town,  enough  to 
build  schools  for  the  education  of  poor  but  deserving 
thousands,  enough  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of 


336  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

thousands  more  who  had  to  dwell  in  filth  and  misery. 
What  could  he  not  do  if  all  this  wealth  were  his  ? 

It  had  lain  here  untouched  for  centuries,  as  useless 
as  if  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea ;  and  would  it  not  be 
better  far  if  it  were  in  the  hands  of  some  one  who 
could  use  it  to  the  best  advantage,  who  would  make 
it  a  blessing,  and  not  a  curse,  to  humanity  ? 

Arthur  had  his  own  views  as  to  the  uses  of  wealth, 
holding  that  millionaires  should  regard  themselves 
as  trustees,  merely,  of  what  the  Creator  gave  into 
their  hands,  and  not  the  absolute  owners  of  their 
temporary  possessions.  This  may  be  neither  here  nor 
there ;  but,  still,  he  felt  convinced  that  the  oppor 
tunity  was  now  presented  by  which  he  could  put  his 
theories  into  practice  and  become  a  benefactor  to 
mankind. 

"Why  should  I  ?  "  the  Queen  repeated  after  him. 
"  Because  it  is  mine,  and  I  choose  to  do  this  thing. 
It  is  nothing.  Take  it,  and  do  with  it  as  you  will !  " 

There  could  be  no  doubt,  either  as  to  her  owner 
ship  of  the  treasure,  or  her  sincerity  in  offering  it  to 
him,  but  still  the  young  man  was  bewildered.  He 
could  scarcely  believe  it  possible  for  such  good  for 
tune  to  be  his.  As  to  the  Queen,  now  that  she  had 
guided  him  to  the  treasure,  her  interest  in  the  pro 
ceeding  was  waning.  She  was  evidently  bored,  and 
showed  her  indifference  by  turning  her  back  upon 
the  golden  storehouse  and  wandering  around  the 
cavern. 


The  Cacique's  Treasure  at  Last.        337 

Beckoning  her  torch-bearers  to  accompany  her, 
she  entered  an  opening  in  the  wall  at  her  left  and 
proceeded  farther  into  the  recesses  of  the  cave.  A 
winding  passage  led  downward,  narrow  and  tortuous, 
scarcely  wide  enough  for  two  to  walk  abreast.  Pos 
sessed  by  some  strange  whim,  the  Queen  pursued 
her  way  down  this  dark  and  narrow  lane  between 
the  walls  of  rock,  her  pathway  lighted  only  by  the 
fitful  gleam  of  the  torches. 

She  had  never  been  there  before,  nor  had  any  of 
her  maidens,  and  the  latter  followed  her  shaking 
with  fear.  At  first,  Arthur  stood  where  she  had  so 
suddenly  left  him,  uncertain  what  to  do,  since  she 
had  not  invited  him  to  go  with  her ;  but  he  finally 
concluded  that  it  was  his  duty  to  follow  after,  even 
if  at  a  little  distance ;  and  so,  with  a  torch  in  one  hand 
and  his  sword  in  the  other,  he  walked  slowly  down 
the  narrow  passageway.  He  had  gone  but  a  few 
rods,  when  he  was  startled  by  a  loud  shriek  as  of 
deadly  fear  or  sharp  agony,  and  a  moment  later, 
hurrying  forward,  he  witnessed  a  sight  that  caused 
the  blood  to  curdle  in  his  veins. 


XXXVII. 

The  Duel  Underground. 

THE  maidens  were  all  hastening  toward  him, 
but  Arthur  looked  beyond  them  and  saw  the 
Queen  struggling  in  the  grasp  of  a  hideous  monster. 
Holding  his  torch  aloft  and  brushing  the  girls  aside, 
as  they  met  him  and  would  have  clung  to  him  in 
their  fright,  he  pushed  ahead  as  rapidly  as  the 
nature  of  the  path  would  allow,  and  soon  was  abreast 
the  monster  and  his  victim. 

The  term  "  monster "  is  used  in  speaking  of  this 
object  that  had  seized  the  Queen,  for  no  other  could 
give  an  impression  of  its  horrid  aspect.  It  was 
unlike  anything  Arthur  had  ever  seen,  but  seemed 
more  to  resemble  a  gorilla  than  a  human  being,  for 
it  had  long,  hairy  arms,  a  low  brow,  small  black 
eyes  which  sparkled  like  deep-set  diamonds,  and  a 
huge  mouth  from  which  protruded  two  long  fangs, 
while  its  complexion  was  blood  red. 

It  flashed  upon  Arthur,  at  sight  of  this  terrible 
being,  that  he  must  be  the  diablo  Colorado,  or  "  red 
devil,"  of  whom  he  had  been  warned  at  Monte  Cristi. 
But,  be  it  man  or  devil,  he  was  resolved  to  rescue 
the  Queen  from  the  monster's  clutches,  and  he  took 

338 


The  Duel  Underground.  339 

no  thought  of  the  risk  he  ran  in  doing  so,  only  hav 
ing  in  mind  the  damsel's  danger,  and  feeling  that  he 
would  be  willing  to  lay  down  his  life  in  her  defence. 

There  was  no  time  to  lose,  for  as  the  fiend  heard 
him  coming  he  tightened  his  grasp  on  the  Queen's 
slender  throat,  and  in  a  very  short  time  she  would 
have  been  choked  to  death.  She  lay  there  limp  and 
senseless,  a  picture  of  beautiful  helplessness,  while 
above  her  the  red  devil  grinned  and  glowered. 

Arthur  had  no  arms  with  him  except  the  sword, 
the  mate  to  which  was  now  in  the  possession  of  the 
monster,  who  had  seized  it  as  the  Queen  let  it  fall 
from  her  hand,  when  he  had  darted  out  upon  her 
from  his  hiding-place.  As  Arthur  approached  and 
made  as  if  he  would  spring  at  the  creature's  throat, 
the  latter  interposed  the  body  of  his  helpless  pris 
oner,  at  the  same  time  retreating  slowly  to  the  far 
end  of  the  passageway,  where  he  could  set  his  back 
against  the  wall. 

The  danger  of  advancing  was  now  increased  by 
the  fact  that  there  were  deep  holes  or  natural  wells 
on  either  side  the  path,  which  yawned  black  and  ap 
parently  fathomless,  as  traps  for  the  unwary  intruder. 
Except  where  the  dim  light  of  the  two  smoking 
torches  penetrated,  all  was  inky  blackness,  and  thus 
Arthur  had  to  exercise  caution,  not  only  in  approach 
ing  his  enemy,  but  lest  his  torch  should  become  extin 
guished.  Then  he  was  thankful  that  he  had  learned 
to  fence  with  one  hand,  so  that  he  could  hold  the 


340  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

torch  aloft,  and  at  the  same  time  keep  his  guard  and 
make  his  thrusts.  He  lost  no  time  in  pressing  to 
combat,  for  he  knew  that  every  minute  the  Queen 
remained  in  his  grasp  was  taking  her  nearer  and 
nearer  to  death. 

Hitherto,  the  monster  had  held  the  torch  which  he 
had  wrested  from  the  Queen  in  the  same  hand  that 
gripped  her  sword,  the  other  being  employed  in  crush 
ing  out  her  life.  So  he  was  at  a  disadvantage,  which 
Arthur  was  not  slow  to  appreciate,  for  seeing  an 
opportunity  to  get  in  a  thrust,  he  sprang  forward  and 
wounded  him  in  the  thigh.  This  made  him  relax 
his  grip  on  his  prey,  and  the  Queen  dropped  to  the 
ground,  where  she  lay  unconscious,  while  above  and 
around  her  waged  as  fierce  a  battle  as  was  ever 
fought  by  duellists  in  modern  times. 

Uttering  a  howl  of  rage  and  pain,  the  monster 
shifted  the  sword  to  his  right  hand,  leaving  the  torch 
in  his  left,  and  crouched  like  a  tiger  awaiting  the  next 
move  of  his  foe.  He  evidently  knew  little  of  sword- 
craft,  but  relied  upon  his  superior  size  and  strength  to 
win  the  victory.  Arthur,  as  has  been  said,  was  an 
accomplished  swordsman,  and  he  knew  that  if  he 
once  allowed  the  giant  to  get  him  within  arm's 
length  his  chance  for  life  was  small.  So  he  stood 
on  guard,  watching  every  movement  of  his  opponent. 
The  latter  had  the  advantage  of  him  in  position,  with 
his  back  against  a  wall  and  a  broad  space  in  front 
and  on  either  side ;  while  Arthur  was  standing  right 


The  Duel  Underground.  341 

between  two  chasm-like  wells,  scarce  ten  feet  apart. 
To  add  to  his  anxiety,  the  apparently  lifeless  Queen 
lay  where  but  a  slight  push  would  send  her  rolling 
into  one  or  the  other  of  the  wells,  where  her  fate 
would  be  surely  sealed,  even  if  she  were  still  alive. 

He  wasted  no  time  in  useless  speculation,  but  at 
once  made  up  his  mind  as  to  the  sort  of  play  he 
would  use.  If  he  allowed  the  giant  to  charge,  the 
mere  weight  of  his  huge  body  might  send  him  to  the 
ground  and  place  him  at  his  mercy.  So  he  resolved 
to  fight  on  the  offensive  from  the  first.  That  it  was 
to  be  a  fight  to  the  death,  he  had  no  doubt,  for  there 
was  no  alternative.  He  felt  no  fear,  however,  and 
was  only  apprehensive  as  to  the  result  for  the  Queen's 
and  his  brother's  sake.  For  the  Queen's,  more  im 
mediately,  since  she  was  placed  in  double  peril 
through  her  situation. 

He  advanced  and  feinted,  and,  as  he  expected,  the 
giant  rose  and  attempted  to  hew  him  down  with  a 
crushing  blow.  This  blow  he  deftly  parried,  and  then, 
before  his  opponent  could  recover,  gave  him  a  thrust 
in  the  shoulder  that  made  him  yell  with  pain. 

The  sword  did  not  go  so  deeply  as  Arthur  had  in 
tended,  yet  it  was  difficult  to  withdraw,  and  it  flashed 
upon  the  young  man  that  the  giant  was  defended 
by  chain  armor.  This  proved  to  be  so,  and  Arthur  at 
once  recognized  the  futility  of  dealing  body  blows, 
and  devoted  his  attention  to  the  monster's  throat  and 
arms.  But  he  had  to  reach  so  far  for  his  throat,  and 


342  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

the  arms  flew  about  so  like  the  sails  of  a  windmill, 
that  it  was  no  easy  matter,  after  all.  The  monster's 
only  thought  seemed  to  be  to  crush  his  foe  by  tre 
mendous  blows,  and  it  was  all  Arthur  could  do  to 
ward  them  off.  If  his  sword  had  been  of  a  temper 
less  fine  than  it  was,  —  having  been  forged  in  the 
waters  and  polished  with  the  sands  of  the  Tagus,  like 
all  true  Toledos,  —  it  would  have  been  hacked  and 
dented  long  before  the  fight  came  to  an  end ;  but  it 
stood  the  test  and  proved  a  friend  indeed. 

Through  it  all,  Arthur  kept  the  monster  pinned 
against  the  wall,  unable  to  advance,  until  one  blow 
more  crushing  than  the  others  felled  him  to  the 
earth,  and  before  he  could  rise,  the  giant  was  upon 
him.  His  sword  slipped  away  in  the  darkness,  and 
he  felt  that  at  last  he  had  lost  the  game,  for  the  hot 
breath  of  the  monster  was  in  his  face,  and  his  heavy 
body  bore  down  upon  him  with  crushing  force.  The 
giant  was  bleeding  from  a  dozen  wounds,  and  his 
strength  was  failing ;  but  still  he  had  enough  left 
to  keep  his  foe  from  rising.  Hitherto,  neither  had 
uttered  a  word,  but  now  that  the  diablo  Colorado 
had  the  boy  at  his  mercy,  he  hissed  into  his  ear,  in 
Spanish :  — 

"  Ha,  you  thought  to  escape  Lelee ;  but  know  you, 
I  am  his  master  and  his  messenger  !  Now  I  shall 
kill  you  and  take  your  head  to  the  capital,  where 
I  shall  get  a  great  reward.  And  not  only  you,  but 
your  brother,  who  is  already  my  prisoner,  bound  in 


The  Duel  Underground.  343 

his  hut,  only  waiting  my  return  to  be  killed,  like 
yourself.  This  girl,  too,  the  one  you  tried  to  take 
from  me,  she  shall  first  see  you  die,  then  shall  go  to 
join  her  ancestors  whose  treasure  you  came  here  to 
find.  Speak,  what  say  you  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Arthur,  with  an  effort  "  Kill  me, 
and  have  done." 

He  really  thought  his  end  was  nigh,  helpless  as 
he  was  in  the  grip  of  the  giant ;  but  still  he  was 
alert  and  wary.  Suddenly  his  ear  caught  the  sound 
of  a  sigh,  and  he  knew  the  Queen  was  yet  alive,  and 
probably  returning  to  consciousness.  The  monster 
heard  it,  too,  and  turned  in  the  direction  where  she 
had  lain ;  but  she  was  not  there,  and  in  his  astonish 
ment  he  relaxed  his  hold  on  Arthur,  who  instantly 
threw  him  off  and  regained  his  feet. 

"  Oh,  if  I  had  my  sword  !  "  was  his  first  thought, 
as  he  stood  in  the  darkness,  expecting  the  on 
slaught  of  his  enemy.  The  torches  lay  smoulder 
ing  on  the  cavern  floor,  and  by  the  dim  light  they 
gave,  the  monster  was  seeking  a  vulnerable  spot  into 
which  to  plunge  his  sword  and  end  Arthur's  life. 
But  while  he  halted  an  instant,  the  tide  of  battle 
turned  in  Arthur's  favor,  —  or  at  least  he  was  again 
given  a  living  chance,  —  for  he  felt  a  hand  clutch  his 
arm,  and  a  voice  whispered  in  his  ear :  "  Here  am  I, 
and  here  is  your  sword.  Take  it !  " 

The  Queen  had  recovered,  she  had  by  chance 
found  the  sword,  and  with  the  inborn  cunning  in- 


344  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

herited  from  her  Indian  ancestors,  she  had  lain  quiet 
until  able  to  ascertain  the  respective  positions  of  the 
combatants,  when  she  crept  to  Arthur's  side  and 
pressed  the  sword  into  his  hand. 

What  joy  then  thrilled  him  as  he  felt  the  trusty 
hilt,  and  how  his  pulses  bounded  now  that  he  knew 
the  Queen  was  alive ! 

He  awaited  the  attack  no  longer,  but  with  renewed 
vigor  made  at  the  enemy,  dimly  outlined  as  he  was, 
just  as  he  himself  came  down  upon  him  with  a  two- 
handed  blow.  Arthur  almost  laughed  aloud  at  the 
giant's  clumsiness,  for  he  now  felt  invincible,  the 
blood  leaped  through  his  veins  like  quicksilver.  He 
parried  the  blow,  and  then  swung  his  sword  around 
and  took  the  giant  right  across  the  neck.  He 
stumbled,  threw  out  his  hands  in  a  vain  attempt 
to  clutch  his  foe,  and  then  fell  to  earth  with  a  tre 
mendous  crash,  rolled  over  twice  or  thrice,  and  fell 
into  one  of  the  wells.  The  awed  listeners  heard  him 
bounding  from  side  to  side,  in  his  descent  carrying 
with  him  loosened  earth  and  rocks;  then  all  was 
quiet  and  there  came  no  sound  from  out  the  depth 
profound. 

For  a  moment  the  conqueror  stood  as  if  petrified, 
silent,  oppressed  by  a  vague  feeling  of  blood-guilti 
ness  ;  but  at  last  he  sighed,  and  said  softly  to  him 
self  :  "  What  else  could  I  do  ?  It  was  in  defence  of 
my  life,  and  not  only  mine  but  the  Queen's.  Thank 
God,  I  saved  her  from  a  dreadful  death  ! " 


The  Duel  Underground.  345 

He  felt  a  soft  touch  on  his  cheek,  then  the  Queen's 
hand  sought  his  own  and  pressed  it  to  her  lips. 
"  Henceforth  I  am  your  servant,"  she  whispered. 
"  My  life  is  yours,  you  saved  it.  My  people,  too, 
will  always  be  your  slaves ! " 

Arthur  did  not,  of  course,  understand  all  her 
speech,  but  he  inferred  it  from  her  actions,  and  he 
snatched  his  hand  away  —  perhaps  rather  rudely, 
in  his  confusion  —  and  ejaculated  :  — 

"  No,  no,  you  can  never  be  my  servant,  my  slave. 
You  have  been  good  to  me.  I  could  not  have  done 
less.  It  was  nothing.  By  killing  the  diablo  Colorado 
I  have  rendered  a  greater  service  to  myself  and  my 
brother  than  to  you.  He  was  our  deadly  enemy,  and 
came  here  to  seek  our  blood  !  " 

Then  he  realized  how  foolish  it  was  to  waste  words 
upon  one  who  could  not  understand  him,  and  also 
how  rude  he  had  been  in  snatching  his  hand  away ; 
but  the  deed  was  done,  and  of  a  truth  this  was  no 
time  to  stand  upon  ceremony.  The  words  of  the 
monster  recurred  to  him  then,  and  he  felt  a  real  fear 
in  his  heart  at  the  thought  of  his  brother,  bound  and 
helpless  in  the  hut  so  far  away.  There  was  no  time 
to  lose,  so  he  picked  up  one  of  the  torches,  blew  its 
smouldering  tip  into  a  flame,  extended  his  hand  to 
the  Queen,  and  gently  led  her  toward  the  treasure 
chamber. 

He  was  not  surprised  when  he  glanced  back  at  her 
to  find  that  she  was  weeping,  nor  that  she  trembled 


346  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

so  she  could  hardly  stand ;  but  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  to  press  on  until  the  horrid  passageway  was 
left  and  a  place  of  safety  gained. 

He  still  clung  to  the  sword,  as  to  the  best  friend 
he  had  on  earth  ;  but  the  other  Toledo  had  gone 
down  with  the  monster.  If  it  had  been  left  he  would 
not  have  touched  it,  feeling  that  it  had  been  defiled 
by  contact  with  that  horrible  wretch,  whose  fetid 
breath  he  seemed  to  feel  yet,  hot  upon  his  cheeks. 
The  air  was  stifling,  the  blood  from  the  gash  in  his 
forehead  filled  his  eyes,  and  before  the  chamber  was 
reached,  he  groped  blindly  like  a  man  bereft  of  sight 
and  staggered  from  weakness. 

The  Queen  was  not  so  overcome  by  fear  and  grief 
that  she  could  not  detect  his  condition,  and  when  the 
path  had  widened  so  that  she  could  walk  by  his  side 
she  pressed  forward,  just  in  time  to  catch  him  in  her 
arms,  as  he  reached  the  limit  of  his  strength  and  fell. 
They  had  then  almost  gained  the  aperture  giving 
access  to  the  treasure  chamber,  and  through  this  she 
dragged  him,  falling  from  exhaustion,  as  the  sound  of 
voices  and  gleam  of  lights  proclaimed  the  coming  of 
friends  to  the  rescue. 


XXXVIII. 

A    Treasure  held  in  Trust. 

WHEN  Arthur  opened  his  eyes,  it  was  to  find 
himself  the  centre  of  a  sympathetic  group 
composed  of  the  Queen  and  her  court,  all  the  maidens 
having  returned  to  the  cavern  as  soon  as  they  had 
been  able  to  gather  a  rescue  party ;  and  now  they 
seemed  very  anxious  about  the  hero  of  the  occasion. 
One  was  washing  the  blood  from  his  face,  another 
holding  a  towel,  another  chafing  his  hands,  while  the 
rest  were  mainly  occupied  in  crowding  about  and 
making  it  nearly  impossible  for  him  to  get  a  breath 
of  fresh  air  —  which  was  what  he  needed  more  than 
anything  else  in  the  world,  just  then. 

It  is  needless  to  remark  that  he  was  provoked 
beyond  measure  to  be  caught  in  such  a  plight,  and  as 
soon  as  he  could  do  so  with  good  grace,  he  gently 
repulsed  his  lovely  nurses,  raised  himself  to  a  sitting 
posture,  and  then  to  his  feet. 

And  it  was  just  then,  as  he  was  looking  wildly 
about,  trying  to  collect  his  scattered  senses,  that 
there  came  into  the  treasure  chamber  another  crowd 
of  people,  in  their  midst  the  very  one  who  had  occu 
pied  his  thoughts  almost  exclusively  during  the  past 
two  days,  —  in  other  words,  his  brother. 

347 


348  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

It  was  a  picturesque  scene  that  met  Hartley's  gaze 
at  that  moment,  and  he,  too,  seemed  at  first  rather 
bewildered,  as  well  he  might  have  been,  this  being 
his  first  glimpse  of  the  cavern  and  its  contents. 
Against  the  golden  images  as  a  background,  rising 
tier  above  tier,  and  glittering  heaps  of  dust  and  nug 
gets  in  the  nooks  and  corners,  there  was  massed  a 
crowd  of  Indians,  mostly  females,  nearly  all  young 
and  comely,  with  his  brother  as  a  central  figure.  He 
was  so  taken  aback  that  he  omitted  to  note  that 
Arthur's  features  were  pallid  and  blood-streaked,  and 
this  omission  may  be  excused,  perhaps,  owing  to  the 
dim  light  cast  by  the  smoking  torches. 

"Why,  Arthur,  is  that  you?"  he  asked  jauntily. 
"  What  is  the  meaning  of  all  this,  pray,  —  and  tell 
me,  where  is  the  old  Queen  ? " 

The  sound  of  Hartley's  voice  acted  as  a  tonic  at 
once,  and  Arthur  pushed  forward  and  grasped  his 
brother's  hand.  "  There  isn't  any  old  Queen,  Hart, 
but  the  lady  standing  apart,  with  the  golden  girdle 
around  her  waist,  is  the  princess,  or  the  young  Queen. 
We  have  had  a  little  adventure  in  the  cavern  beyond, 
and  she  is  greatly  perturbed,  as  well  as  myself/' 

"  Adventure  ?  What  was  it  ?  But  wait,  let  me  tell 
you  mine.  Do  you  know  that  the  diablo  Colorado 
is  around  these  parts,  and  came  near  making  an 
end  of  me  ?  You  do,  eh  ?  Well,  let  me  tell  you,  if 
it  hadn't  been  for  Esteban,  I  might  not  now  be  in 
the  land  of  the  living,  for  that  diablo  Colorado 


A  Treasure  held  in  Trust.  349 

attacked  me  in  the  hut  the  night  after  you  left,  and 
left  me  bound  to  a  post,  saying  he  was  going  in  search 
of  you,  and  would  then  come  back  and  attend  to  me. 
Think  of  it !  " 

"  Dear  me,  Hart,  I  have  thought  of  it,  and  of 
scarcely  anything  else,  for  some  time  past.  But  you 
needn't  have  any  more  fear  on  his  account,  for  he  is 
now  lying  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  hole  inside  the 
cavern  yonder." 

"  So  ?  And  how  did  he  get  there  ?  But  you 
needn't  tell  me,  for  that  gash  in  your  face  means 
something,  and  then  again  there's  blood  all  over  your 
sword ! " 

"  Yes,  it's  terrible,  isn't  it  ?  But  I  couldn't  help  it, 
for  he  was  carrying  off  the  Queen,  and  when  I  made 
at  him  he  fought,  so  it  had  to  be  one  of  us,  you 
know." 

"  Help  it,  you  silly  boy !  Of  course  you  couldn't. 
And  the  world  is  well  rid  of  a  villain !  Well,  I  only 
hope  he's  the  last  of  Lelee's  emissaries,  for  this  fight 
ing  them  off,  one  after  another,  is  getting  to  be  tire 
some.  But  I  guess  he  is,  though,  for  I've  received 
some  information  since  you  left  me,  that  tells  me  — 
but  no  matter  about  that  now  —  all  in  good  time. 
Don't  you  think  I  might  be  presented  to  the  Queen  ?  " 

"  Why,  to  be  sure.  But  you  must  remember  that 
she  is  a  queen,  by  right  of  birth,  even  if  she  hasn't 
much  of  a  country  and  is  an  Indian  born.  And, 
look !  There  is  the  treasure  we've  been  seeking  so 


350  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

long.  It  is  hers,  —  all  of  it,  —  that  is,  it  was ;  but  she 
insists  that  we  shall  share  it  with  her,  or  take  it  all." 

"  She  does  ?  She's  generous.  But  of  course 
we  won't.  We  didn't  come  here  on  a  plundering 
expedition !  " 

"  No,  indeed.  But  we  must  give  her  credit  for  the 
good  intention.  Come  now,  and  be  presented." 

Hartley  could  hardly  take  his  gaze  off  the  golden 
images,  despite  the  bevy  of  beauties  standing  about 
and  regarding  him  with  wide-open,  wondering  eyes. 
But  he  was  decent  enough  to  make  his  best  bow  to 
the  Queen,  who  was  gracious  enough  to  welcome  him 
most  cordially ;  and  so  the  presentation  passed  off 
very  well,  leaving  an  impression  mutually  agreeable. 

Then  they  all  filed  out  of  the  cavern,  finding  in  the 
great  hall  another  crowd  of  anxious  Indians,  held  in 
check  only  by  the  persuasions  of  Esteban  from  going 
to  the  aid  of  their  beloved  Queen.  He  saluted 
Arthur  with  respect,  looking  significantly  at  his 
bloody  sword,  as  he  said :  — 

"  Sefior,  master  mine,  by  the  killing  of  el  diablo 
Colorado,  and  by  saving  the  life  of  our  Queen,  you 
have  made  slaves  of  us  all ! " 

"And  you,  Esteban,"  replied  Arthur,  warmly 
returning  the  pressure  of  his  hand,  "  have  made  me 
your  debtor  forever  by  saving  the  life  of  my  brother. 
When  you  left  me  so  abruptly,  two  days  ago,  I  felt 
some  distrust  of  your  intentions ;  but  now,  you  will 
forgive  me  ? " 


A  Treasure  held  in  Trust.  351 

"There  is  nothing  to  forgive,"  rejoined  Esteban, 
with  feeling.  "Naturally  you  had  doubts  of  me, 
having  lied  to  you  as  I  did,  having  played  upon  your 
credulity  with  my  preposterous  tales." 

"  He  means  about  his  being  several  hundred  years 
old,  I  guess,"  said  Hartley  to  his  brother;  "but  we 
won't  mind  a  little  thing  like  that" 

"  No,  indeed,"  answered  Arthur,  with  a  smile.  "  We 
can  overlook  a  great  deal  on  account  of  what  he  has 
really  done  for  us,  and  I  certainly  hope  he  will  live 
as  long  as  he  says  he  has  lived  already." 

"  My  sentiments,  too,"  rejoined  Hartley.  "  He's  a 
white  man,  whatever  his  complexion  is,  and  I'll  stand 
by  him  to  the  end  of  time." 

"  But  how  did  that  old  diablo  Colorado  get  in  here, 
Esteban  ?  Guess  your  trap  in  the  cave  isn't  rat- 
proof,  after  all,  eh?" 

"  Didn't  get  in  that  way,"  said  Esteban,  shrugging 
his  shoulders.  "  He  swung  down  over  cliffs  by  a 
long  line.  Made  big  rope  out  of  wild  vines  many 
hundred  feet  long.  Ah,  he  very  cunning,  that  old 
diablo  Colorado.  He  watch  for  me  many  years. 
But  I'm  glad  he's  dead,  for  he  more  cunning  than 
the  President,  his  master." 

They  escorted  the  Queen  and  her  maidens  to  their 
dwellings,  and  then  sought  out  the  kiosk,  where,  once 
the  three  were  seated,  Hartley  disburdened  himself 
of  his  secret.  "  Arthur,  I  can't  keep  it  any  longer," 
he  said,  drawing  from  his  pocket  a  long  envelope 


352  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

with  a  big  seal  on  it.  "  Do  you  recognize  that  writing 
and  that  seal  ?  " 

"Certainly,"  replied  Arthur.  "That's  from  the 
Consul.  How  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I'm  going  to  tell  you,  if  you'll  give 
me  time.  Don't  you  suppose  he  could  have  brought 
it  himself?" 

"  Oh,  did  he  ?  Is  he  here  ?  I  wish  I  could  see 
him.  But  no,  if  he  were  here  he  wouldn't  have  writ 
ten  a  letter,  of  course." 

"You  are  right.  He  didn't,  and  he  isn't.  And 
you  might  try  till  you  were  a  million  years  old,  and  I 
don't  believe  you  could  guess  how  that  letter  came 
into  my  —  I  mean  our  —  possession.  I  say  'our,'  be 
cause  it  was  Esteban  who  spied  it  coming,  and  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  him,  we  might  never  have  received 
it." 

"Well,  tell  me  how  it  got  here." 

"  I'm  going  to,  right  now.  You  see,  Esteban  came 
to  the  hut  and  found  me  tied  to  the  post,  and  nearly 
dead  from  hunger  and  fatigue,  after  having  been 
left  there  by  that  old  rascal  you  disposed  of,  thank 
heaven  !  —  in  the  cavern." 

"  Poor  boy,  how  you  must  have  suffered !  " 

"  Well,  yes,  it  wasn't  very  nice,  I  assure  you ;  but 
no  matter  now.  I'll  confess  that  I  was  more  fright 
ened  than  hurt,  for  he's  well  named.  He  left  his 
mark  on  me,  too.  See !  "  Hartley  drew  back  his 
sleeve  and  showed  two  livid  semicircles  on  his  arm. 


A  Treasure  held  in  Trust.  353 

"  That's  where  he  bit  me.  I  only  hope  his  bite  isn't 
poisonous ;  but  Esteban  has  washed  the  wound  with 
some  antiseptic  preparation,  so  I  think  it  won't  bother 
me  any  more.  But  don't  worry,"  he  added,  seeing 
the  look  of  concern  on  his  brother's  face.  "  Let  that 
go.  Now  we'll  get  right  down  to  business.  After 
Esteban  had  cut  me  loose  and  given  me  something 
to  revive  my  spirits,  he  took  me  out  under  the  silk- 
cotton  tree  and  set  me  down  to  rest  by  the  side  of 
the  brook.  As  he  was  going  back  to  the  house,  he 
happened  to  look  up  in  the  sky  and  saw  something 
he  took  for  an  immense  eagle.  But  it  wasn't,  it  was 
—  can't  you  guess  ?  " 

"  Not  a  balloon  ?  " 

"  Exactly,  a  small  balloon.  But  by  the  time  I  had 
focussed  my  optics  on  it,  the  thing  had  sailed  almost 
out  of  sight  and  soon  disappeared  over  the  mountains. 
Esteban  was  awfully  worried,  for  he  thought  it  must 
be  some  sort  of  a  celestial  visitor,  —  never  having  seen 
a  balloon  before, — but  I  explained  to  him  what  it 
was  and  he  calmed  down,  though  I  believe  he  was 
truly  frightened  for  a  few  minutes,  weren't  you,  Este 
ban  ? " 

"  True,  I  was,"  acknowledged  the  Moor.  "  Never 
saw  thing  like  that  before.  White  men  invent  many 
things  since  I  came  to  this  island." 

"  Well,  I  sat  and  pondered  over  the  coming  of  that 
balloon  until  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  had 
been  sent  here  for  a  purpose.  And  if  that  were  the 


354  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

case,  another  might  follow  in  its  wake,  the  first  having 
been  sent  to  attract  our  attention.  Then  I  reasoned  it 
out  that  the  people  in  the  interior  of  Santo  Domingo 
weren't  given  to  that  sort  of  thing,  —  most  of  them,  in 
fact,  like  Esteban,  never  having  seen  a  balloon ;  and 
again,  I  reckoned  that  about  the  only  man  with  wit 
enough  to  think  of  reaching  us  by  balloon  would  be 
our  friend  the  Consul.  And,  sure  enough,  after  Este 
ban  had  been  watching  the  sky,  by  my  orders,  for 
two  hours  or  more,  he  announced  another  balloon 
coming  right  in  the  track  of  the  first.  That's  easy 
to  understand,  you  know,  for  the  trade  winds  blow 
only  in  one  direction  at  certain  seasons,  and  if  two 
balloons  were  set  free  at  a  certain  point  they  would 
naturally  follow  the  same  course." 

"  Yes,"  interposed  Arthur,  "  that  is  plain  enough. 
But  how  did  you  manage  to  stop  either  of  them  ? " 

"  Oh,  wait.  You  don't  know  that  I  did,  do  you  ? 
But  I  did,  though,  and  this  is  how.  I  was  feeling 
better  by  that  time,  and  with  Esteban's  help  I  walked 
out  to  the  knoll  behind  the  hut,  taking  my  rifle  with 
me.  Now  do  you  understand  ?  Oh,  you  do  ?  Well, 
when  the  balloon  had  sailed  within  about  two  hundred 
yards  of  me,  and  was  right  overhead,  I  fired  and  split 
the  gas  bag  into  ribbons  !  That's  all.  As  it  came  sail 
ing  down,  out  tumbled  a  package,  and  in  the  package 
was  this  envelope  enclosing  a  letter.  And  here's  the 
letter,"  said  Hartley,  handing  it  to  Arthur,  who  at  once 
proceeded  to  read  aloud  the  following  document :  — 


A  Treasure  held  in  Trust.  355 

"SANTIAGO   DE   LOS   CABALLEROS,    SANTO   DOMINGO. 

[Date  suppressed.] 

"  MY  DEAR  BOYS  :  Having  heard  nothing  from  you 
since  we  parted  at  Cristi,  I  took  a  trip  up  this  way  in 
search  of  information.  Found  Don  Alessandro  and 
his  family,  with  whom  you  stopped  awhile,  and  they 
are,  let  me  say  in  passing,  almost  as  much  distressed 
as  I  am  at  your  long  silence.  Nobody  knows  where 
you  are,  but  the  general  opinion  is  that  the  earth  has 
opened  and  swallowed  you  up.  However,  since  you 
were  at  last  accounts  headed  for  the  Cordillera,  I  am 
taking  the  only  chance  of  reaching  you  by  despatch 
ing  a  couple  of  small  balloons  in  that  direction  as  a 
sort  of  forlorn  hope.  Heaven  grant  one  of  them  at 
least  may  find  you. 

"  Assuming  this  letter  (written  in  duplicate  and 
sent  by  the  two  balloons)  may  reach  you,  let  me  tell 
you  the  news.  It  is  good  or  bad,  according  to  whom 
soever  it  may  concern.  At  all  events,  it  concerns 
you  both.  The  President  is  dead !  Yes,  he  is  now 
beyond  all  reach  of  human  arm,  to  punish  or  to  save ; 
for  on  the  2  5th  of  last  month  he  was  assassinated  at 
Moca,  as  he  was  endeavoring  to  suppress  a  rebellion 
of  the  serranos,  and  his  remains  are  interred  in  the 
cathedral  here  at  Santiago.  At  last  he  has  met  his 
deserts.  Whether  he  deserved  his  fate  or  not,  I  dare 
not  venture  to  say  in  this  letter,  not  knowing  into 
whose  hands  it  may  fall.  But  you  need  now  have 
no  fear  of  him  nor  of  his  emissaries  —  except  one, 


356  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

and  he  is  the  most  to  be  dreaded  of  all.  He  is  called 
the  diablo  Colorado.  Should  you  escape  him,  all 
will  be  well.  Should  you  meet  him,  —  and  you  can 
not  fail  to  know  him  by  his  ferocious  appearance  and 
blood-red  skin,  —  attack  him  at  once,  and  do  not  give 
him  quarter.  He  is  a  murderer  and  a  sorcerer ;  a 
willing  tool  he  has  been  of  Lelee's,  and  doubtless  he 
has  been  advised  to  look  for  you.  This  is  all  —  only 
to  warn  you.  If  you  find  the  treasure,  save  me  some 
trinket  or  other.  If  you  have  opportunity  to  reply 
to  this,  make  all  haste  to  do  so,  and  believe  me, 
"  Ever  your  well-wisher, 

"  HENRY  GARLAND. 

"  P.S.  By  the  way,  Don  Alessandro  instructs  me 
to  say  that  he  has  a  new  poem  '  on  the  stocks,'  which 
he  knows  will  fetch  you  back  (to  read),  if  nothing 
else  will,  and  Senorita  Tomasina  bids  ask  if  you  have 
yet  met  a  foe  worthy  of  that  sword.  Miss  Rita  adds 
that  she  and  her  sisters  are  crying  their  eyes  out,  and 
that  she  thinks  you  are  '  awfully  mean '  to  go  off  and 
stay  so  long  without  a  word  for  them.  You  may 
know  best ;  but  that  is  also  the  opinion  of 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"H.  G." 

"  So  Lelee  is  dead  ? "  said  Arthur,  drawing  a  long 
breath  of  relief. 

"  Must  be,"  said  Hartley,  "  unless  he's  come  to  life 
since  that  letter  was  written.  But  really,  I  can  hardly 


A  Treasure  held  in  Trust.  357 

believe  it,  for  he  seemed  of  the  kind  that  never  would 
die,  but  go  on  forever  committing  his  atrocious 
deeds." 

"Well,  since  he's  dead,"  rejoined  Arthur,  "we'll 
say  nothing  against  him ;  only  no  other  fate  could 
have  been  expected  for  him  than  just  what  he  re 
ceived.  As  you  say,  it  seems  incredible,  and  if  the 
Consul  hadn't  added  that  he  was  buried  there  in  San 
tiago,  I  should  feel  sure  the  news  was  not  reliable." 

"Well,  that  lets  us  out  of  our  dilemma,"  said 
Hartley.  "  If  we  stay  here  any  longer,  it  will  not 
be  because  we  are  afraid  to  go  on  account  of  Lelee's 
myrmidons  on  our  trail." 

Arthur  looked  earnestly  in  his  brother's  eyes,  then 
dropped  his  gaze  as  he  said,  hardly  above  a  whisper, 
"  Do  you  want  to  go  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't.  This  sort  of  life  they  lead  here  will 
just  suit  me,  I  think;  and  besides,  Esteban  says  the 
island  will  now  be  in  the  throes  of  revolution  for 
months,  at  least,  and  it  would  be  just  as  dangerous 
for  us  as  if  Lelee  himself  were  still  in  power.  That 
is,  the  people  are  now  fighting  amongst  themselves, 
and  if  one  side  doesn't  kill  us  as  rebels,  the  other  will 
as  supporters  of  the  government.  So  there  we  are. 
'  Heads,  they  win ;  tails,  we  lose,'  whichever  side  we 
take.  I  say  stay  !  What  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  ?  "  exclaimed  Arthur,  joyfully.  "  Oh,  stay,  of 
course.  It  seems  to  me  our  duty  lies  right  here,  —  for 
a  few  months,  perhaps  years,  anyway.  The  little  I 


35 8  The  Last  of  the  Arawaks. 

have  seen  of  these  people  has  convinced  me  of  their 
goodness,  their  innocence,  —  and  not  only  that,  but 
their  helplessness.  It  isn't  likely  they  can  remain 
here  much  longer  without  being  discovered,  and  what 
ever  form  of  government  this  island  may  have  in  the 
future,  there  is  little  doubt  that  if  it  could  get  hold  of 
their  treasure  and  their  lands  it  would  keep  them 
both.  As  to  the  treasure,  I  propose  that  we  hold  it 
in  trust,  for  the  benefit  of  Queen  Anacaona  and  her 
people.  First,  after  there  is  a  settled  government,  we 
will  buy  all  the  land  comprised  in  the  two  valleys, 
the  title  to  be  vested  in  the  Queen,  and  then  take 
another  portion  of  the  treasure  for  the  enlightenment 
of  her  subjects ;  give  them  schools,  books,  education, 
teach  them  trades,  and  raise  them  generally  in  the 
scale  of  civilization." 

"  My  sentiments,  exactly.  I'm  with  you  heart  and 
hand.  But  how  about  the  Consul  and  our  other 
friends  ?  We  owe  them  something,  too." 

"  Yes,  I  have  thought  of  that ;  and  with  Esteban's 
help  I  feel  sure  we  can  get  a  message  out  to  them 
in  time.  Now,  Esteban,  as  you  have  heard  all  we 
have  said,  go  tell  the  Queen,  and  ask  her  if  she  is 
willing  we  may  stay  here  on  those  terms." 

Esteban  departed,  without  a  word.  He  soon 
returned,  but  not  alone,  for  with  him  came  the  Queen, 
walking  slowly,  deep  in  thought.  At  the  door  of  the 
kiosk  she  held  an  animated  conversation  in  Arawak 
with  the  Moor,  the  purport  of  which  he  translated  for 


A  Treasure  held  in  Trust.  359 

her  guests,  while  the  Queen  regarded  them  intently, 
her  beautiful  face  alight  with  joy  and  satisfaction. 

"  It  is  my  pleasure  that  you  stay  always,  so  long 
as  you  are  content,  for  my  life  you  have  saved.  I 
and  my  people  regard  you  as  sent  by  Heaven,  to 
show  us  how  to  live  the  best  we  can." 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


- 

15Apr'58LW 
REC'D  3  O 

APR    1195 


REC'D  LD 

NOV16196 


LD  21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 


M314065 


